Vliet, W. van, 1983, Exploring the fourth environment: an examination of the home range of city and suburban teenagers, in: Environment and Behavior, 15, 6
- Author : Vliet, W. van
- Year : 1983
- Journal/Series : Environment and Behavior
- Volume Number (ANNUAL: Counting Volumes of the Year shown above) : 6
- Volume Number (CONSECUTIVE: Counting all Volumes of this Journal ever published) : 15
- Pages : 567-588
- Abstract in English : Children spend much of their time outside the home, school and playground in what could be called “the fourth environment” In this paper the home range of teenagers from 14 to 16 years of age from city and suburban neighbourhoods in metropolitan Toronto is examined in relation of their home, their age, sex, and social class. Since this fourth environment appears to fulfil important developmental functions for children, it is relevant to identify those factors influencing the spatial delimitation of children’s activities outside the home. The role of the fourth environment in the maturational process has been largely overlooked. Social scientists have not systematically concerned themselves with the functions of street, shops, clinics, buses, offices, and cafes in children’s everyday experiences. Neither have planners and architects attempted to derive guidelines for the design of environments and settings not specifically designated for children from children’s developmental needs. It is suggested that local neighbourhood continues to be an important developmental context for young people, and common interests of other population groups are recognized as enhancing the potential for planning that is responsive to children’s needs.
- Comments/Notes : KEYWORDS: Children, neighbourhoods, the fourth environment, children’s development, landscape planning, landscape design. This article is especially relevant in relationship with studies on affordances.