Interface childhood: emoji mapping as a method of gaining the perspective of Belfast children on their local urban environment

In Belfast, long standing peace walls continue to divide communities physically and emotionally, shaping everyday realities of children growing up in interface areas. Despite policy frameworks supporting children’s participation, their perspectives remain largely absent from planning and regeneration processes. This paper explores children’s emotional geographies using an innovative method: emoji mapping. As part of a wider PhD research project, emoji mapping was applied during a series of four-day workshops which engaged 47 children aged 7 to 13 years. Through the mapping exercise and informal conversations, children expressed their emotional attachments to local spaces, revealed constrained mobility patterns, highlighted internalised boundaries and place quality. Findings show that spatial segregation is not only material but deeply embedded in children’s cognitive and emotional landscapes. The paper reflects on the potential of emoji mapping to meaningfully engage children in post-conflict urban research and planning, offering recommendations for practitioners seeking more inclusive, child-centred approaches to urban futures.<br/><br/>