In the preceding chapters we have made the case for children's participation at neighbourhood level and in relevant decision-making processes. In this final chapter we draw together the core themes and focus on the question of how children's participation can become an accepted and integral part of the professional practice of planners, architects, housing officers, regeneration staff and other professionals. What are the conditions which will enable this to happen? How can professionals – managers as well as practitioners – act so that children play a direct role in determining the environment and life of neighbourhoods?

The chapter will move from the abstract to the specific. We begin by revisiting the key conceptual ‘territory’ which informs planning with children for better communities. Then we discuss a number of ‘middle range’ strategic questions and key practice points. Finally, we put forward a policy and practice framework for planning with children, linking action at local, regional and national levels.

Key ideas

It is mistaken for practitioners and managers to think that they can develop participative approaches to working with children in isolation from theory development and research findings on children and society. They need to be aware of key ideas because these will influence their own thinking and action. This is doubly important in the field of children's participation because of the extent to which it draws upon several academic disciplines such as sociology, psychology, social policy and environmental planning. Each discipline is researching and writing about particular aspects of children's lives. From time to time, evidence and findings from more than one discipline appear to coalesce, providing new insights and guidance.

At the same time, theory and research can, implicitly or explicitly, provide a challenge to everyday assumptions. The research carried out by the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research was an example of this because, by placing children as the central unit of observation, it demonstrated how children can speak and act for themselves (Qvortrup, 1991). The paper by Moss and Petrie provides a similar kind of theoretical challenge in the policy sphere.