Children's Citizenship and the Built Environment

Abstract

The proper site of children’s civic formation is hotly contested in political theory. Theorists debate whether the proper locus of such formation ought to be primarily public or private. To address this question, I set aside the current terms of debate and consider the locus of civic formation rather more literally and physically, specifically by turning to the built environment. Drawing from works in political theory, psychology, sociology, and urban planning, I sketch an ecumenical vision of the built environment, arguing that partisans in children’s citizenship debates both ought to support an anti-sprawl, mixed-use built environment that physically intermeshes the public and private spheres. This ecumenical vision, perhaps ironically, challenges a dominant assumption that the suburbs—specifically in their common, single-use-zoned form—are the most suitable environment for children.