Children's Use of the Street As a Playground in Abu-Nuseir, Jordan

Abstract

This article reviews the children's use of the streets in Abu-Nuseir, a residential community in Jordan. The street functions as an agent of socialization. It provides a setting that is conducive to childhood development and to various types of play that enable that development. It affects the personality, character, and ability of a child. The importance of street play lies in the central role that play occupies in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of a child. The spatial and temporal relationship between children and the street as affected by the accommodative forces of the street environment is explained, stressing that the physical environment of the street is an operative factor in human systems and that it is a significant factor in the development and maintenance of a child's self-identity. Urban streets in residential communities should be designed to provide a balance between the needs of children and the needs of motor vehicles. What is required is to organize residential streets so that all can use the available space effectively. The main task that faces town managers in Jordan and in other Third World countries today is to elevate the street in the residential neighborhood from a mere traffic channel to a social institution for children.