Analysing the potential of small-scale public spaces adjacent to primary schools of Athens as drivers of more child-centred urban practices

This article intends to illustrate the current relation of children in Athens with the public space of the city. In order to do so, it investigates the background of the current adult-oriented urban practices and how these affect the right to the city for other social groups, specifically children. It analyses how the right to play (namely, the main activity of a child) could be used as a parameter that ensures the universal right to the city. In the last part of the article, an analysis of a research that took place in Athens (March-December 2020) is provided. The research findings, combined with the previous theoretical analysis, are able to provide us with valuable insight as to the steps to be followed in order for the focus to shift towards more child-friendly and inclusive urban practices for contemporary cities - Athens, in particular.