While preparing the exhibition “Hero’s Journey. The Last Week of Summer”, we learned a lot about how children from different generations have been building their relationship with the city for the last 50 years. And how do modern children perceive it? To explore this, the City Museum has launched a joint project involving younger Lviv residents. The result will be a series of maps of different Lviv’s districts, to which children will offer their own routes and quests.
A pilot project
The central part of the city was chosen as a pilot, and the first developers were students from grades 6-8 of the Budokan school. We prepared a special program for them. With the help of tourism and city experts, guides, designers and quest developers, the children independently chose the top places that everyone should find and see.
The next task was to create a map of their favorite places for children from other districts of Lviv or visiting guests. Then they have to plan a quest and come up with tasks for it.
Developing the theme of participatory practices, the museum decided to invite children to play the role of developers: from the name idea to the final approval of the design solution. Meanwhile, the professional project team only moderates the process.
Urban traveler’s kit
So, soon everyone will be able not only to see the places recommended by children that are worth visiting and walk along the proposed route, but also to complete a quest that will lead them to the most interesting locations for children.
We plan to implement the project in different districts of Lviv. In this way, we will introduce children to their city, re-examine well-known sights and discover unexpected alternative routes. By developing maps of other districts in turn, we will supplement them with a quest questionnaire, thus encouraging children to travel around the city. We will supplement the maps with a backpack, a booklet with tasks and other tools for young travelers. We will place these kits in different districts of the city through a network of libraries. They will be available for free borrowing. Later, everyone will be able to choose a map of the neighbourhood he/she wants to explore and go on a trip with friends, classmates or parents.
The project will promote the neighborhoods and emphasize the presence of younger residents, who are often invisible with their voices.
What do we expect?
Better understand the children’s vision of the city: what attracts them here?
What do they pay attention to, are they ready to include subjective stories and hidden places in their routes? Will children be open enough to talk about their vision of the city that differs from that of an adult? Do modern children have enough experience of walking around Lviv on their own to share it with their peers?
The project is implemented by the Foundation for the Development of the City Museum in Lviv with the support of the ZMIN Foundation.
