Planning Child-Friendly Spaces for Rural Areas in South-Africa

Abstract

Child-friendly space are not successfully implemented in South Africa due to problems such as urbanization, development pressure, lack of qualitative open spaces and lack of policy and legislation guiding the planning and protection of such spaces. This study explores the possibility of creating qualitative, playful, educational and environmentally preserving open spaces through the creation and provision of child-friendly spaces for children within their surrounding neighbourhood. The priority within rural areas is usually focussed on providing basic facilities and infrastructure, and the provision of qualitative open spaces is often neglected. In this sense, there is no qualitative child-friendly space currently documented or successfully implemented in rural areas in South Africa. This study provides an overview on what is considered as a child-friendly space and the importance to create such spaces. The main challenges faced by rural areas in South Africa in creating child-friendly spaces are explored. Furthermore current planning approaches in providing child-friendly space in rural areas are identified and evaluated. Lastly green guidelines in creating child-friendly spaces are established.