Cities matter because more than half of the world’s children live in cities and, in New Zealand, more than 85% of children, tamariki and tamaiti[1] live in urban centres (UNICEF, 2018). It is essential, therefore, to ensure that cities support and foster children’s rights to the city and their social, physical and mental well-being. While we have a good understanding of how primary school children and young people use the city and what they like and dislike about city life, we actually don’t know how children aged under five years’ experience their cities. We don’t know where they go, what destinations they use in their neighbourhoods or what activities they like to do. We also don’t know what they think a city should look like and what they think could be done differently to make their participation in urban life fun and relevant.

[1] In this report, we use the term ‘children’ as a general reference. However, we acknowledge and respect the cultural significance of the terms ‘tamariki’ and ‘tamaiti,’ which we specifically use when working directly with children who identify as Māori or Pacific. In Te Reo Māori, tamariki refers to children (plural), while tamaiti denotes a single child. In Samoan, tamaiti means children, whereas tamaitiiti refers to an individual child. These terms carry deep cultural meaning, with tamariki and tamaiti viewed as taonga (treasures) in Māori tradition, and similarly cherished in Samoan culture. We are aware of the historical and cultural implications of using the English term ‘children’ and remain mindful of these distinctions throughout our work.

Our study treats pre-school aged children as knowledgeable citizens and allows them the opportunity to articulate their understanding of cities and express themselves in their own language and form, when addressing the following research questions:

1.     What can we learn from pre-school aged children about creating urban environments that work better for them? Can this knowledge be used to enhance their participation in urban life and in consultation processes?

2.     What do pre-school aged children like and dislike about living in their city? How and why do their experiences differ?

3.     How do pre-school aged children from different backgrounds (ethnic, socio-economic, geographic) experience their city and what is their understanding of city life?