My research investigates the environmental factors which can positively influence children’s independent mobility and outdoor play. Taking two pioneering 1970s council estates as case studies, Byker Estate in Newcastle upon Tyne and Alexandra Road Estate in London, it examines how they were designed to meet the perceived needs of children and investigates the experiences of different generations of children living there. It explores the extent to which attributes of these estates, influenced by policy and the attitudes of the designers, positively or negatively affects children’s use of public space.
My collaborative partner is the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) who hold the archives for the two case study estates.
Following an MA in Architectural Design (RIBA Part 1) from the University of Edinburgh, I spent a number of years working in museums and archives in London and Newcastle. In 2016, I completed an MSc in Town Planning at Newcastle University.
You can follow me on twitter @salawatson if you are interested in cities, children’s play or museums and heritage.
