Children and Young People as Stakeholders in Revitalisation. The Example of the Revitalisation Programme of Lodz 2026+

Abstract

The aim of the article is to answer the question about how children and youth as inhabitants and users of urban spacer are represented in a document setting a frame for the process of city renewal. Theoretical background for my investigation is the concept of childhood developed within the area of new interdisciplinary childhood studies. I apply a qualitative content analysis approach to work with the text of Revitalization Programme of the City of Łodz 2026+, which is an example of a document setting framework for a complex revitalization venture. The analysis shows that in the Local Revitalization Program children and youth are presented as passive community members, potential clients of helping institutions, and the “carriers” of social problems. The document refers to traditional, socialization-based concept of childhood perceived as a gradual process of becoming a fully-formed and valuable, i.e. adult, person. Children and youth are treated as future employees who need to become equipped with proper skills and competences necessary to participate in the labor market, and who are expected to contribute to the future success and development of the city. The document does not refer to current children’s needs and their wellbeing “here and now”.