Public defence in Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering, M.Soc.Sc. Veera Moll

Title of the thesis: Children as an Urban Planning Question in Helsinki in the 1950s–1970s

Doctoral Student: Veera Moll
Opponent: Docent, University Lecturer Kaisa Vehkalahti, University of Jyväskylä
Custos: Prof. Marketta Kyttä, Aalto University, School of Engineering, Department of Built Environment

Children as an Urban Planning Question in Helsinki in the 1950s–1970s

Safe and versatile playgrounds designed specifically for children have become key spaces in the daily lives of urban families and integral features of Helsinki’s urban environment. Yet, children’s ability to play and move freely in other parts of the city is often restricted, primarily due to the dangers posed by car traffic. This raises critical concerns about children’s opportunities for active movement and play, as well as the equity of urban spaces. 

How did this situation come about? How did designated spaces for children emerge and become an integral part of urban planning? How has the presence of children in a growing, car-dominated city been addressed? And how did expert debates and planning guidelines define which spaces were suitable or unsuitable for children? 

This dissertation examines the shaping of childhood as an urban planning issue in Helsinki. It focuses on the most intense decades of urbanization, the 1950s to the 1970s, when urban planning discussions about children, along with legislation on and standardization of children's environments, increased. These discussions have had far-reaching consequences, contributing to the foundation of the contemporary understanding of children's needs and their role in urban environments. 

The study presents five key findings. 1) In the 20th century, known as the century of the child, children shifted from being a relatively overlooked group to an important focus in urban planning. 2) The issue of children as an urban planning concern took shape as a result of multi-professional negotiations. 3) Childhood as a planning issue in Helsinki is also a history of redirection. This means that children were typically not considered to be in suitable places where they already were, such as courtyards, streets, or other areas in which they found themselves. 4) Childhood as an urban planning issue also developed as a part of suburban development. 5) Children as an urban planning issue took shape subordinated to the development of a car-centric transport system. 

The dissertation offers a new perspective on the history of urban childhood while also providing valuable tools for critically assessing our understanding of children’s role and place in contemporary cities.

Keywords: urban planning, urban children, children's independent mobility, urban history, history of childhood, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, playgrounds, standards, motorization

Thesis available for public display 10 days prior to the defence at: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/doc_public/eonly/riiputus/

Contact information of doctoral student: Veera Moll, [email protected]

Doctoral theses of the School of Engineering: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/49