Iren Koomen

Urbanism

Street Smart

A Social Learning Perspective on the Restructuring of Oud-Charlois

This project attempts to find ways in which design interventions could facilitate solutions to existing socio-spatial problems, specifically focusing on the social learning experiences of children and adolescents in problem neighbourhoods and how these can be reshaped from their current negative influence to more positive ones. Through two pattern libraries that link (1) specific social problems to their spatial characteristics and (2) children and adolescents’ developmental needs with spatial requirements, design interventions are formulated that create positive social learning environments for children and adolescents. Furthermore, children and adolescents are target group and co-designers of this project, which was facilitated by a series of workshops with two different age groups. This approach was then applied and tested in the neighbourhood of Oud-Charlois in Rotterdam-Zuid and, in doing so, addresses current day problems that trouble our society, as well as creates a more pronounced bridge between the social sciences and urbanism.

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