Assessing children’s affective perception of school squares in Lombardy, Italy

As urban public spaces adjacent to schools, school squares are fundamental for encouraging children’s independent mobility, engagement with the environment and incidental learning. Aiming to spatially define the concept of the school square, this study presents a photovoice process involving 128 students and three secondary schools in Lombardy, Italy. In order to address their affective perception of their school squares in terms of likeability and environmental features, students were asked to produce three photographs with captions, representing their school square and elements they like/dislike. This research proposes a child-centred perspective as a potential instrument for educators and policy makers.