FragMENDED

Abstract

The spatial fragmentation of suburban zones, both living and built, has real consequences on how people interact with each other and the places in which they live. Ecological disconnection and social isolation are endemic to urban sprawl. Pervasive fragmentation separates people from natural amenities and disengages them from the environment and the role they play within it. The youth are specifically vulnerable to the effects of suburban sprawl, lacking a freedom of movement and access to outdoor educational and recreational programming. By interacting with the environment through the lenses of play and education, children can form a connection between themselves and the place they learn, helping them develop into multifaceted and ecologically conscious people. The goal is to explore how youth-driven ecological practices and nature-based program can reweave children into local ecologies through a pedagogy of play.