scholarly journals Exploring Access to Nature Play in Urban Parks: Resilience, Sustainability, and Early Childhood

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 4894
Author(s):  
Thomas Beery

Nature play is an important component of the development of resilience in early childhood. Nature play is also an element of urban sustainability through a consideration of access to urban nature. From the foundation of access to nature play as a part of both resilience and sustainability considerations, a mixed-method case study was initiated. Spatial analysis, survey outreach, and focus group methodology have been combined to consider whether city parkland provides access for preschools to incorporate nature play, and, further, whether other barriers may exist to limit or prevent the use of city parks for nature play by preschool programs. The results indicate the existence of quality proximate access, but other factors creating barriers for broader application of nature play exist. The results also illustrate the critical role of public access to public parks as part of urban sustainability and the development of resilience in young children. The implications for the use of city parkland for nature play are presented.

2018 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 2-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Wiese

Place-based activism has played a critical role in the history of urban and environmental politics in California. This article explores the continuing significance of environmental place making to grassroots politics through a case study of Friends of Rose Canyon, an environmental group in San Diego. Based in the fast-growing University City neighborhood, Friends of Rose Canyon waged a long, successful campaign between 2002 and 2018 to prevent construction of a bridge in the Rose Canyon Open Space Park in their community. Using historical and participant observer methodologies, this study reveals how twenty-first-century California urbanites claimed and created meaningful local places and mobilized effective politics around them. It illuminates the critical role of individual activists; suggests practical, replicable strategies for community mobilization; and demonstrates the significant impact of local activism at the urban and metropolitan scales.


Cities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 103294
Author(s):  
Fangzhu Zhang ◽  
Calvin King Lam Chung ◽  
Tingting Lu ◽  
Fulong Wu

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda Feasey

This Major Research Paper investigates Street Voices Magazine as an instrument and communications tool to engage and empower street youth in Toronto. The following questions guided my study: What are the ways in which Street Voices Magazine gives voice to the marginalized and silenced? Why is Street Voices Magazine an appropriate medium for connecting with street youth? A mixed-method approach was used to analyze the texts and images in three issues of the magazine to determine the effectiveness of the print medium, what these texts and images suggest about the motivations of the contributors, and whether the magazine meets its objective of serving street youth. The study suggests that the transformative potential of the arts, the role of the magazine in fostering in the contributors the identity of an artist, and the lack of other spaces for expression are significant themes that underpin Street Voices Magazine’s appeal and effectiveness. The study also leads to suggestions for further research, which could improve an understanding of this diverse demographic and confirm the impact of Street Voices Magazine.


Author(s):  
Kyle D. Magnuson ◽  
W. Joseph Macicak ◽  
Otto C. Guedelhoefer ◽  
David M. VanDommelen
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-317
Author(s):  
Nastassia J. Hajal ◽  
Hilary J. Aralis ◽  
Cara J. Kiff ◽  
Melissa M. Wasserman ◽  
Blair Paley ◽  
...  

Urban Studies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (14) ◽  
pp. 2901-2917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Yu ◽  
David Gibbs

This paper aims to understand the role of green entrepreneurs in urban sustainability transitions. We propose an analytical framework combining transition approaches and green entrepreneurship from a relational lens. It includes four processes: emergence of green entrepreneurs, multi-scalar interest coordination, empowering through anchoring, and struggling with the regime at the urban scale. This framework is illustrated through an empirical analysis of the role of green entrepreneurs in the development of the solar water heater industry in China’s Solar City. The analysis unravels how the local institutional contexts and multi-scalar relations empowered local green entrepreneurs to become system builders for urban transitions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Şebnem Feriver ◽  
Refika Olgan ◽  
Gaye Teksöz ◽  
Matthias Barth

This study presents an attempt to contribute to the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) by conceptualizing systems thinking skills of four- to six-year-old preschool children with the role of age in this particular skill. For this purpose, we developed and tested a method and instruments to assess and conceptualize systems thinking skills of 52 preschool children in early childhood education contexts from Turkey and Germany. By employing qualitative case study research, we concluded that the young children showed some signs of complex understanding regarding systems thinking in terms of detecting obvious gradual changes and two-step domino and/or multiple one-way causalities, as well as describing behavior of a balancing loop. However, their capacity was found to be limited when it comes to detecting a reinforcing loop, understanding system mechanisms by acknowledging the unintended consequences, detecting hidden components and processes, demonstrating multi-dimensional perspective, solving problems through high-leverage interventions, and predicting the future behavior of the system. Age had a notable effect on the total systems thinking mean scores of the participants.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1109-1123 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Israilidis ◽  
Evangelia Siachou ◽  
Louise Cooke ◽  
Russell Lock

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify individual variables with an impact on knowledge sharing and explore the under-discussed construct of employees’ ignorance. This can enhance the knowledge-sharing process and facilitate the development of greater intellectual capital. Design/methodology/approach – Eighty-four dependent variables affecting knowledge sharing are analyzed and classified into 11 categories. In addition, the direct effect of employees’ ignorance on knowledge sharing is introduced and empirically investigated in a case study of a multinational organization operating within the aerospace and defense industry. Findings – The findings suggest that employees’ ignorance may negatively affect their intention to share knowledge, thus leading to poor decision-making and communication in organizations. Employees’ ignorance could also limit the organizational ability to repel external threats, implement innovation and manage future risks. Originality/value – A classification scheme based on different categories of employees’ ignorance is developed, providing tailor-made recommendations for practitioners facing different types of ill-informed organizational scenarios. Further, the need to shift the emphasis away from the management of knowledge to the management of ignorance is also an important contribution of this paper.


2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cátia Panizzon Dal Curtivo ◽  
Nathália Bitencourt Funghi ◽  
Guilherme Diniz Tavares ◽  
Sávio Fujita Barbosa ◽  
Raimar Löbenberg ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63
Author(s):  
Shannon Hayes ◽  
Leslie Lindeman ◽  
Casey Lukszo

The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between pre-transfer advising and the development of transfer student capital (TSC) for students who have transferred from community college to a four-year university. Using TSC as a framework, this qualitative case study seeks to identify the roles that pre-transfer advisors at community colleges and universities have in students' transfer processes. In this study, we find that advisors can play a critical role in building students' TSC and supporting students' self-efficacy. We also find that students indicate that advisors sometimes provide conflicting information or that advising can often be inaccessible to students, which can lead to self-advising. Implications and recommendations are discussed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document