CSRD organizes a lecture by Christina R. Ergler

Centre for the Study of Regional Development
School of Social Sciences, JNU

Invites you all to a lecture on

Children as Urban 'Architects': (Re)Imagining the City Through Their Eyes

by

Christina R. Ergler, 
Te Ihowhenua – School of Geography, University of Otago

Date:   1st Sept 2025 (Monday);
Time: 3:30 pm
Venue: Cartographic Lab, CSRD, SSS III (1st Floor)

Abstract:  As more children grow up in cities, designing urban environments that meet their needs has become increasingly crucial. However, young children's experiences and visions for liveable, resilient, and inclusive cities are often overlooked in urban planning. This paper presents a participatory research project with 76 children (aged 3–4 years) from Dunedin and Wellington, New Zealand, challenging traditional top-down urban planning approaches and advocating for a more radical, participatory model that prioritizes young children’s voices. Through a tile-based mapping exercise and a photo-elicitation activity, children shared how they experience and envision their cities—ranging from imaginative constructions to realistic urban representations. The photographs they took offer a unique lens through which we can view their urban environments, providing rich insights into their everyday experiences, spatial interactions, and the ways in which social and built environments shape their lives. By centering children’s perspectives, this research highlights the importance of inclusive urban design that fosters well-being, play, and connection. It calls for cities that support the flourishing and resilience of both human communities and the more-than-human world, paving the way for more just, equitable, and child-friendly urban futures.

About the Speaker: Dr. Christina R. Ergler is an Associate Professor in Geography at the University of Otago. She is a geographer committed to creating just, sustainable, and inclusive environments that enhance the quality of life for both humans and non-humans. Her research examines and seeks to disrupt social, health, and environmental injustices, with a particular focus on people’s well-being and well-becoming. A central concern in her work is privileging the voices and experiences of marginalised groups, addressing systemic inequities, and highlighting the broader social and environmental determinants that shape everyday life in on- and offline spaces where people live, move, work, learn, and play. Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, drawing on collaborations across education, psychology, planning, and health sciences. She has led and contributed to projects on children’s rights to cities, often employing creative and participatory methodologies. Her contributions to children’s and health geographies have been recognised internationally, including the Royal Society Early Career Researcher Award (2022) and the Inspiring Future Generations Award (UK, 2023).