A cidade de Presidente Prudente (SP) sob a ótica de crianças de uma escola pública

Abstract

This article is an excerpt from a thesis whose central theme was the city and the childhood. From the Sociology of Childhood and the Geography of Childhood, it was discussed how children conceive the city. It is qualitative research, characterized as a case study. The subjects of the investigation were ten children, from nine to eleven years old, students of a public school located in the central area of ​​Presidente Prudente (SP). The methodological instrument was the Wish Poem, which consisted of a drawing elaborated from the sentence “My city is...”. According to the students' perspective, the city has both artificial and natural elements, and  its organization favors vehicles over people; that is, for them, it seems to be a place of passage, not of encounters and entertainment. The public authorities must meet the children's demands and plan the city based on the human dimension.  Therefore, they must invest in attractive, safe, tree-lined public spaces that encourage creativity and encounter.