Refugee Children’s Access to Play in Meso-Environments: A Novel Approach Using Space Syntax and GIS
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1. Perceived Neighbourhood Distance for Refugee Children and Their Parents
2.2. Formal and Informal Playspaces for Refugee Children
2.3. Space Syntax and Playspace Accessibility for Refugee Children
3. Methodology
3.1. Data Sources and Processing
Staff Survey and Site Investigation
3.2. Technical Approach for Playspace Definitions and Accessibility
3.2.1. Potential Playspaces: Formal and Informal
3.2.2. Perceived Neighbourhood Distance and Accessible Playspaces
3.2.3. Active Playspaces
4. Results and Comparison
4.1. Spatial Characteristics and Potential Playspaces
4.2. Accessible Playspaces
4.3. Active Playspaces and Accessibility Comparison
4.3.1. Active Playspace Comparison
4.3.2. Comparison at Overall Levels
5. Discussion
5.1. Accessibility of Meso-Environments Playspaces for Refugee Children
5.2. Strengths and Limitations of the Research
5.2.1. Strengths and Limitations for Accessibility Measures
5.2.2. Strengths and Limitations for Environmental Measures
6. Conclusions and Future Research
- Studies with broader study sites to understand play-related resource distributions at a comprehensive level;
- The new approach presented in this research has the potential to be developed/repeated on a larger sample in Berlin but also in other contexts; further studies should test this;
- Further studies should focus on potentialities for informal playspaces and investigate their spatial features;
- Future studies with a more tightly controlled setting choice include objective measures of the built environment, particularly playing spaces in meso environments (distance, size, and features) and safety (crime statistics), which are warranted;
- Besides meso environments, further studies should investigate the role of macro environments for refugee children’s play (e.g., the connectivity of transportation system is relevant to non-refugee children’s playing);
- Investigate whether there is a lack of congruence between perceived and objective measures of the meso environment and understand if they are independently or jointly associated with refugee children’s playing.
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Study Site | Accommodation Types | Expected Stay Period in This Accommodation | Existing Period | Interview/Observation Date | Children Population: Aged 6–12 1 | Children’s Countries of Origin 1 | Neighbourhood Feature 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | initial reception | 3–6 months | 12.2015-current 2 | 30.07.2018 | 30 | Muslim and Asia | residential area |
II | initial reception | 09.2014–08.2019 | 16.10.2018 | 33 | Asia and Africa | residential area | |
III | initial reception | 02.2012-current | 23.10.2018 | 27 | Multi-ethnic | industrial/grassland | |
IV | Tempohomes | uncertain period | 12.2016–07.2019 | 14.02.2019 | 20–30 | Muslim | residential area |
V | community accommodation | 12 months | 07.2015–10.2020 | 30.11.2018 | 18 | Multi-ethnic | undefined areas |
VI | community accommodation | 04.2015–09.2020 | 23.01.2019 | 30 | Muslim | inside a park |
Category | Coding of Map Feature |
---|---|
Formal playspace | |
Sport facility | sport centres; sport facilities |
Park | all kinds of parks; garden; resort |
Playground | all kinds of public ball playground; public playground |
Informal playspace | |
Grassland | open grassland; green space |
Study Site | Photo and Location | Space Size/m2 | Map Feature | Observation Feature | Observation Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | 796 | grassland | ball field | 30 July 2018 | |
II | 4576 | park | 16 October 2018 | ||
24,335 | grassland | ||||
III | 15,145 | grassland | 23 October 2018 | ||
25,848 | grassland | ||||
IV | Photographs were not allowed immediately around this site due to accommodation protection regulations | ||||
V | No identified space | ||||
VI | 38,541 | park | 23 January 2019 |
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Chen, S.; Knöll, M. Refugee Children’s Access to Play in Meso-Environments: A Novel Approach Using Space Syntax and GIS. Buildings 2023, 13, 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010111
Chen S, Knöll M. Refugee Children’s Access to Play in Meso-Environments: A Novel Approach Using Space Syntax and GIS. Buildings. 2023; 13(1):111. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010111
Chicago/Turabian StyleChen, Siqi, and Martin Knöll. 2023. "Refugee Children’s Access to Play in Meso-Environments: A Novel Approach Using Space Syntax and GIS" Buildings 13, no. 1: 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010111