IN-PERSON Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

In an increasingly urbanized world, spatial literacy, understood as the ability to interpret and understand the organization of space, assumes a central role. Cities, scenes of continuous transformation, are ideal places to develop these skills. However, factors such as insecurity, motorized mobility, pre-programmed indoor activities and digitalization have progressively distanced children from urban space, compromising their spatial literacy. This scenario highlights the need to encourage the use of urban space as a pedagogical tool from initial civic education. This approach focuses on spatial literacy, analyzing the influence of urban architecture on children’s education and its impact on cognitive development. By actively including urban space in training processes, we increase spatial awareness in children, contributing to the formation of more aware and resilient citizens. With a multidisciplinary approach, this project integrates education, architecture and urbanism, in collaboration with various entities, from educators to professional associations. Recognizing children’s early interaction with urban space is essential to shaping their future relationship with the environment. By incorporating architecture and urbanism into education from an early age, we will form more informed, aware and active citizens in their context. This project highlights the pre-school period as ideal for introducing urban and architectural concepts and values, which can contribute to influencing changes in curricula and policies, prioritizing spatial literacy as a civic-cultural purpose. The research proposes to offer new perspectives for the creation of more pedagogical and inclusive urban environments, bringing Architecture and Urbanism closer to the social needs of a contemporary world in permanent transformation.