From the eyes of the children: how an urban regeneration project could be?

User-oriented urbanism has the potential to have a major impact on people's lives, especially those of disadvantaged and/or marginalized communities- such as women and children-, so inclusive urban planning seeks to integrate the various aspects of user-oriented urbanism across the planning lifecycle. In this sense, reaching out to all disadvantaged bodies of society is crucial. However, in terms of their interactions with the social as well as physical environments, children are a unique community. While the majority of place-making processes fail to consider children and their needs, they are the most outspoken critics of the places in which they live. This statement will be used as a starting point in this paper. Recalling empowerment and inclusion, this study aims to examine children's perspectives (expectations, suggestions, problems, needs and perceptions, etc.) on the place-making processes, namely an urban regeneration project, by concerning them as users. In comparison to conventional qualitative approaches, participatory qualitative methods are more adaptable and versatile, as well as necessary when working with children and other disadvantaged groups. As the stories and "voices" of participants are central to the design and goals of participatory approaches, one of the participatory action research methods, walking interviews, have been conducted in this study. In Zafer neighbourhood (Bursa/Turkey) with lower perceived quality of life, I have interviewed seven children ranging in age from seven to fourteen. Walking interviews were performed separately with children who lived in the gated community developed by the urban redevelopment project and children who lived in the project's immediate zone. By doing this, I aim to hear the authentic voices of the children (who directly and indirectly interact with the project)- about the social and physical environments generated by the project; and restructure them from a broader socio-spatial perspective. Initially, the research highlights that if we –urban planners- want to make cities more human-centric, we must be unprejudiced and reconsider the role of the children. Keywords: Inclusive Planning, Participatory Research, Walking Interviews, Urban Regeneration Project, Children