Teenagers and the City: How Youth Shape Public Spaces through Creativity, Sports, and Social Connection
Public spaces hold a unique value for teenagers, offering a stage for recreation, cultural expression, and social interaction. Across various studies, these spaces have been shown to play a significant role in the mental, social, and physical development of adolescents. Teenagers often engage with public areas like parks, squares, and even neglected or abandoned spaces in ways that differ from adults, repurposing them as places to express their identity, engage in physical activities, and cultivate peer relationships. This article explores how teenagers use these spaces, how they shape urban aesthetics, and why policymakers need to adopt a more passive approach to observing their behaviors.
