Suggestions for Further Research
Two gaps in our empirical knowledge of adolescent experience of public space are
identified in this survey. First, longitudinal and cross-continental studies, capable of
providing us with a better understanding of temporal and spatial parameters of the
adolescent experience, are very few. Relevant to this point, the utilisation of foreign
language publications (e.g. the large French literature on the subject) by English-speaking
researchers has been minimal. Second, the older teenager group (15-18 years old) is
particularly underrepresented in the literature, even though this is the crucial age of
Teenagers and Public Space
Literature Review: OPENspace Research Centre, Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot Watt University 21
‘teenage experience’ for many young people. Most studies of this group follow a
criminological approach, dealing mainly with issues of teenage delinquency, possibly
reflecting negative social images of adolescents as the deviants par excellence. Finally,
academic research should be available to local authorities, planners and policy-makers for
consultation in their future youth strategies. In order to formulate friendlier policies and
more beneficial initiatives for young people, decision-makers have to get a more in-depth
view on daily experiences and life expectations and aspirations of teenagers.