Public Parks and Playgrounds as Democratic Spaces for Young Children

Daniel R. Meier is Professor of Elementary Education at San Francisco State University. Meier’s teaching and scholarship focus on children’s language and literacy development, nature education, teacher inquiry, qualitative research, and international education. Meier has written and edited over ten books and numerous articles and presented his research nationally and internationally. He is currently at work on a collaborative project examining the value of speculative fiction in teacher education and a book on the role of paper in preserving family artifacts and memories.

• Children's Rights and Play in Public Spaces Diary Interlude — Boeddeker Park, San Francisco, CA 2. Challenges to Children's Play — Environmental Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Diary Interlude — Cedar Rose Park, Berkeley, CA 3. Children's Play as Socio-Spatial Practice Diary Interlude — Keller Beach, Miller/Knox Park, Point Richmond, CA 4. Natural and Built Environments — Pursuing Beauty and Joy in Play Diary Interlude — Woh Hei Yuen Park, Chinatown, San Francisco 5. Parks and Playgrounds as Communal Sites for Democracy Diary Interlude — DeFremery Park, Oakland, CA 6. Future Thinking — Parks, Playgrounds, and Socially Just Cities