Children think traffic and construction are actively encroaching on their play areas and social spaces, polluting them with noise, dust and fumes, according to fresh research.

On Wednesday researchers presented the preliminary results of a survey with 1,060 children who were asked what they thought of their communities and whether there were enough open spaces dedicated for their enjoyment.

The study is a joint effort by the Centre for Resilience and Social and Emotional Health at the University of Malta, the Commissioner for Children and the Environment and Resources Agency in a bid to make towns and villages more child-friendly.

The children, 651 of whom were aged between eight and 11 years and 412 aged between 12 and 16 years, overwhelmingly said they would like to see more safe spaces and green areas where they can practice physical activities or sport.

The children also said they would like to have a more active say in what happens in their hometowns and would like to be consulted when authorities plan projects for children and young people.

Only 35% of primary school-aged children said they had enough open spaces to play in their locality, while 31% said that they did not.

The most popular play areas were football grounds at 48% and public parks at 44% while children said they liked to play least on their street (19.2%) and on the pavement (10.3%). 

Non-Maltese children were more likely (56.7%) to say they enjoyed playing in public parks or gardens compared to Maltese children (43%), while Maltese children were more likely to enjoy playing a sport (50%) than non-Maltese children (35%). 

While some 70% of children said there was an open space close to where they lived, only 34% said that they visited it at least once a week, while 8% said that they went there every day.

When asked what they would like to see improved in their towns and villages the majority (57%) of children said they wanted increased safety from cars and traffic, followed by clean and healthy to play free from rubbish, noise, dust and smells (51.2%).

When it came to adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years old, only 39% said they were satisfied with the number of spaces where they can play and socialize, while 30% said they were not.

Two out of five don't have opportunity to speak up

Some 41% of secondary school children said they did not have opportunities to speak up on how they would like to improve their hometown, while 36.6% feet that when they did have these opportunities, their opinions were not taken seriously.

Some 33.5% of youths were dissatisfied with the amount of rubbish, noise and pollution in the area where they live while 26.9% expressed a lack of safety from traffic and cars.

Asked what they would like to see improved, teens’ top priority was having more safe areas to socialse with friends (51.5%), followed by a cleaner environment (47.6%) and safety from cars and traffic (47.1%).

'Canaries in coal mines'

Much like how canaries in coal mines alerted people to impending danger, children’s voices are sounding the alarm on the encroachment of traffic and construction on free open spaces, lead researcher Carmel Cefai said.

“The findings from both primary and secondary school children are quite consistent,” he said.

“Children are not happy about cars, traffic, pollution and cleanliness. They see construction as encroaching on their play areas and polluting them with noise, dust and fumes.” 

The full scope of the study, which includes surveys, focus groups and qualitative analyses with children, parents and stakeholders are expected to be published next year during a national conference.

Reflecting on the outcomes of the survey, researchers made five recommendations:

• Setting up an inter-agency working group to implement child-friendly measures 
• Create an index for child-friendly towns and villages that can be achieved and rewarded with a quality label 
• Designate a member of every local council to implement recommendations on a local level 
• Strengthen green initiatives like pedestrian zones, recreational areas and regulating construction 
• Prioritising environmental education from early years to foster a better relationship between children and nature