The Role of Children’s Safety and Security on their Presence in Urban Spaces (Case study: the Fatimi Neighborhood in the 6th District of Tehran)

Cities are not only places to live in, but also they should provide a ground for growth and excellence of their citizens. Thus children as the most vulnerable citizens need more attention. In Islam, many orders and recommendations have been made in this area. Also, Governments and organizations are always looking for strategies to maintain children’s rights but the question was proposed that: what are the most important criteria of suitable urban space for children,as the rights of these citizens? Also what kind of these criteria has the greatest effect on active participation of children in urban areas? Therefore, first, a review of related literature for the child and efforts to protect children are provided, then with a brief look at the needs and rights of children in the city, we address the necessity of children’s relationship with urban spaces. Then by examining the mentioned theories some criteria for suitable urban spaces for children will be determined and because of the importance of security and safety of children in the cities, they will be evaluated. In this study Fatemi neighbourhood in Tehran city was evaluated in order to confirm the research’ theoretical foundations so in addition to extracting criteria for suitable urban spaces for children, the presence of children and its relation to security and safety will be explained. Using factor analysis conducted on data from the questionnaire, nine criteria of suitable urban spaces for children was extracted. The impact of these measures in the presence of children was specified through Pearson Correlation. Of these, security and safety has the most effect with regard to presence of children in urban spaces in these neighbourhoods( r=0.801). That shows the importance of children’s right in using urban spaces by them that providing them is not the responsibility of governments, it should also be considered as planners and urban designers’ tasks.