ERIC Number: EJ1053873
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1038-2569
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Walk in the Park: An Experiential Approach to Youth Participation
Spier, Joshua
Youth Studies Australia, v32 n3 p13-25 2013
A park design "walkshop" was facilitated by a lecturer as part of an undergraduate unit in youth participation at an Australian tertiary college. Inspired by the work of landscape architect Lawrence Halprin (1916-2009), the "scored" walkshop simulated a consultation walk designed to engage students in the hypothetical redevelopment of an urban park. The goal was for students to kinesthetically reexperience the urban park adjacent to the college's campus. Based on their sensory responses from moving around the park, the participants produced consensual ideas for improving the park. An evaluation was conducted inviting students to reflect on their transformative experiences and the walk process. Students reported that their walkshop experiences transformed their understandings of the park, and enabled them to realise their creative agency as social actors to shape public spaces. The evaluation of the walkshop suggests that Halprin's walk process has potential applications in urban design and youth work practice today. Modifications are recommended to Halprin's walk method for greater youth participation.
Descriptors: Parks, Foreign Countries, Creativity, Design, Transformative Learning, Units of Study, Undergraduate Students, Urban Planning, Physical Activities, Architecture, Teaching Methods, Case Studies
Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies. University of Tasmania Private Bag 64, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia. Tel: +61-3-6226-2591; Fax: +61-3-6226-2578; e-mail: information@acys.utas.edu.au; Web site: http://www.acys.info/journal/overview
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A