Young Children's Play in High-rise Housing: A Window into the Changing Lives of Urban Middle-class Families in Pune Metropolitan Area

<p>This dissertation aims to identify the combinations of spatial arrangements and physical features that influence young children’s access to play and the quality of their play opportunities in a heterogeneous sample of high-rise housing in India. Using Bronfenbrenner’s <em>Ecological Model of Human Development</em> as a framework, the study examines two large umbrellas that contribute to young children’s play opportunities in high-rise housing developments: (1) The play environment that is made available for children by developers and design professionals; and (2) Parents’ and caregivers’ ways of using the designated and undesignated spaces based on their own play values and beliefs. A Baseline Study of 63 housing societies and case study research of seven varied high-rise housing environments in a fast-growing suburb of Pune metropolitan area supported the documentation and analysis of play opportunities for young children from middle-class families living in high-rise housing developments. Specifically, the case study research included in-depth field studies and interviews with developers, design professionals, city planners and Indian middle-class families. Further, I supplemented the analysis of each case study by adapting Lefebvre’s Production of Space as an analytical framework to examine the <em>conceptualized, actual</em> and <em>experienced</em> spaces to represent the <em>produced space</em> of children’s play. Study outcomes include the development of a comparative visual assessment chart, i.e., Array of Play Diversity, Design Principles and Improvement Practices to help design professionals and developers provide an appropriate range of play elements, materials and surfaces to support young children’s play. Findings and analysis from this study generate knowledge to create better housing environments for children, thus, building a case for high-rise housing developments as an acceptable and a desired form of housing for families with young children.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Atmakur-Javdekar, Sruthi

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Roger Hart

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Sheridan Bartlett
• David Chapin
• Pamela Wridt
• Robin Moore
• Lia Karsten

• Environmental Design
• Human Geography
• Landscape Architecture
• Other Architecture
• Other Psychology
• Urban, Community and Regional Planning
• Urban Studies and Planning
• play
• young children
• high-rise housing
• middle-class
• urbanisation
• neoliberalism

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3861

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-4849