Although young people are capable of formulating complex understandings of their worlds, rarely is the physical landscape of their own making. Young people face a range of constraints when engaging with and shaping public spaces. This project is using walking as a means of charting a young person’s social geography; to uncover how it is the ‘mental territory’ (Mannarini and Fedi 2005) young people craft in their negotiations with space provide insights into the generationally defined ordering of space.
Using digital photography and GPS tracking, this Australian-based project is also challenging young people to imagine worlds beyond those existing. In partnership with the Toowoomba Regional Council, The Constraints of Youth will also inform Council development practice at a time when regional Queensland is undergoing unprecedented change and renewal.