Neighbourhood play on the endangered list: examining patterns in children's local activity and mobility using GPS monitoring and qualitative GIS

Abstract

Children's time and freedom for independent neighbourhood activity is severely declining, which may be adversely impacting their healthy development. This study integrates GPS activity monitoring and environmental analysis in a geographic information system with activity diaries, annotated maps, surveys, and map-enhanced interviews to conduct a deep pattern analysis of children's habitual neighbourhood behaviour (n = 23; aged 9–13 years) from each an urban and suburban school neighbourhood within London, Canada. Patterns in children's primary activities and settings, independent mobility (IM) levels, and perception and use of neighbourhood affordances are examined. Participants note a diverse range of local independent destinations, but habitually spend little time playing outdoors in neighbourhoods. Local activity related to free time available, perception of activity affordances, and license to travel independently. Social and environmental conditions of children's micro-neighbourhoods influenced independent destinations and domains. Neighbourhood planning should promote diversity of activity affordances and address conditions that support increased IM for youth.

Keywords:

• neighbourhood play
• children
• affordances
• independent mobility
• GPS monitoring
• qualitative GIS

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the students, parents and staff of the London District Catholic School Board and the Thames Valley District School Board, as well as staff and students of the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory of Western University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The names of all people and locations in this study have been changed to protect the privacy of the participants. For the same reason, maps exhibiting children's GPS data or child annotations have been spatially anonymized.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.