Author Description

From the back of book... In an evocative and panoramic account of urban childhood. Colin Ward brings to life the myriad and subtle ways in which the child has used the street in the past and still does today. Against this background he asks whether it is true, as very many people believe, that something has been lost in the way children experience their urban surroundings; why some children show endless ingenuity in exploiting what the city offers while others are isolated and predatory; and what can be done, at a time when a significant proportion of the city's children have come to be at war with their environment, to make the links between city and child more fruitful and enjoyable for both. A probing, caring, and timely exploration of the ways in which the city can serve or fail children, this book raises urgent questions for teachers, parents, and policy-makers. Colin Ward is renowned as a pioneer in urban education and the founder-editor of the BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. He is the holder of a Leverhulme Fellowship for the interpretation of the build environment and the author of THE EXPLODING BRITISH SCHOOL and TENANTS TAKE OVER.