Children in the City

A Freirian Approach to the Transformation of Urban Space

Abstract

Urban education, based on the principles of Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy, aims to transform the relationship between citizens and urban space. This article explores how pedagogy for freedom, applied to children's reading of urban space, promotes social transformation by engaging learners in urban planning. The action research involved elementary school children from a public school in urban analysis and planning activities, using two main methodologies: the "Pattern Language", by Alexander et al., and the Context Analysis based on the Dimensions of Sustainability, proposed by Andrade and Lemos (2015), to decode space and create solutions for local urban problems. The results indicate that the active participation of children in urban discussions and the construction of a critical urban pedagogy offer a promising path for the construction of educational and more inclusive territories. The project culminated in the production of the "Jornal do Afeto", in which the children articulated their observations in a journalistic format. The research demonstrated the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary approach in connecting urbanism, education and children's participation in the transformation of urban space.