Teenage perspectives on urban environments: case studies from contemporary Bucharest

Abstract

The urban environment is a product of everyday social practices and interactions but, at the same time, it conditions social practices and interactions. The article explores the position of the youth in this reciprocal process, drawing on a study involving more than 100 children and teenagers (pupils from Grades 4-11) from 2 elementary schools and 2 high schools in Bucharest. The research followed several lines of investigation: their knowledge of and sensitivity to pollution and nature; the place attachments young people develop to urban natural environments; sound ecology and the teenagers’ practices in relation to the sounds of the city. The data were collected through action-research, while the researchers were taking part in various social projects.