Children’s geographies: Encounters and experiences

This chapter provides an overview of children’s geographers’ research in urban places. It draws upon examples from around the world as well as case studies from the author’s recent published research. It emphasizes research that is not only situated in urban spaces but where urban processes, thematics and sociabilities are foregrounded. In doing so, it examines three of the most significant themes in both classic and cutting-edge studies of children in urban places: mobilities; tensions; materialities. The chapter concludes by reflecting upon two key issues that have driven debate in children’s geographies in recent years: first, the relative lack of cross-fertilization between children’s geographies and urban studies; second, the possible political importance of research with children, and especially their everyday encounters and experiences with/in urban places.