Comparison of Methods for Participation of Vulnerable Children in Neighborhood Rehabilitation (Case Studies: Tehran’s Southern Neighborhoods)

Subject Areas : Urban Design

Behnaz  Aminzadeh ¹ (Associate Professor, University College of Fine Arts, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran)
Mehrnaz  Attaran ² (M.A in Urban Design, University College of Fine Arts, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2014-02-21 Accepted : 2015-01-20 Published : 2015-07-01

Keywords: Vulnerable Children, Participatory Methods, Urban Rehabilitation, Tehran’s Southern Neighborhood,

Abstract :

Due to the poor social and economic conditions of vulnerable children's families, vulnerable children experience urbanspaces for work and play more than other children. Although these children gain a solid understanding of urban spaces,which can be used in the process of designing desirable urban spaces in their neighborhoods, they are less considered insuch projects. Thus, the methodology for the participation of vulnerable children is not developed well to be suited fortheir involvement in urban rehabilitation. This study examined the application of various qualitative methods to find thesuitability of each method for vulnerable children participation in the urban rehabilitation, such as drawing, interview,visiting site and writing essays complemented with drawings, if desired. The results of the study in Tehran’s southernneighborhoods reveal that certain group interviews and site visiting with these children could be more beneficial ascompared to other participation methods. This is due to a number of factors including better verbal skills as comparedto writing and drawing capabilities. Further, studies show that the participation of vulnerable children requires suitablemeasures to obtain their trust and encourage participation. None-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) can play asignificant role in this.

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