Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Saeede alikaei ¹
• Pantea Alipour ²
• seyyedali nouri ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Faculty of Urban planning, Collage of fine arts, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Prof, Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Art, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad uni, Tehran, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
The process of perception and cognition of children is strongly influenced by psychological factors such as their inner needs and motivations; In fact, it is the children's needs that determine which environmental stimuli are selected, identified, and perceived. Therefore, if the environment provides facilities appropriate to their needs, motivations, and talents as an audience, it can play a very important role in realizing the inner capacities of the children and provide the background for their development in various dimensions. Accordingly, the child's environment should be as stimulating and appropriate as possible so that the children can realize their potential talents. However, despite the importance of the impact of environmental qualities on various aspects of children's growth and development, studies that have assessed children's perspectives as users of urban space have been less done. The present study aims to identify and prioritize the environmental qualities affecting children's perception of urban space based on various aspects of the growth and development of children aged 6 to 12 years.
Research Method
In order to answer the research aims, by using the analytical-descriptive method, the developmental characteristics of children aged 6 to 12 years and the criteria and indicators affecting their perception of urban space in the form of an evaluation framework have been investigated. The proposed evaluation framework provides the basis for analyzing children's expectations of urban space and prioritizing the proposed criteria based on their interests in SPSS 26 software using the Friedman test.
Results and discussion
Findings show that the criteria of safe space, social and collective life, complexity, readability, sense of belonging, diversity, permeability, cohesion, sensory richness, collective culture and identity, connection with nature, and flexibility are the highest priorities among children. The analysis of priorities based on the two age groups of 6-8 years and 9-11 years shows that there is no significant difference between the prioritization of criteria in these two groups and the small differences can be justified based on slight differences in the needs of the two age groups. In sex-based prioritization, the difference in prioritization between girls and boys stems from gender differences between them. These gender differences are evident in three-dimensional perception, spatial visualization, orientation in the environment, readability, and the need for a safe environment; Thus, gender can be considered as the main reason for perceptual differences in urban space, which, of course, can be acquired for both girls and boys. Accordingly, the existence of perceptual differences and consequently behavioral differences between children can be explained and interpreted not only because of biological differences but also because of gender differences.
Conclusion
Finally, it can be said that when dealing with the environment, children pay attention to all spatial aspects, visual, psychological, perceptual, and functional aspects of the environmental components, and all their senses are active in the process of perceiving the environment; Therefore, an approach should be adopted in designing their suitable environments so that all senses are stimulated in a favorable way and attention is paid to all the perceptual aspects of children and their age and gender differences. In this regard, the entry of children into the design process, a survey of them with methods such as drawing from the environment and their appropriate interaction with the design group, and their intervention in creating a suitable environment can be considered.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Child
• perception of urban space
• environmental qualities
• Prioritization
• Friedman test

Main Subjects

• Architecture and Urban Design