Luo Xin is an associate professor at the Department of Education of Shaanxi Normal University and a member of the China Committee of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland in the United Kingdom and an important historical and cultural city in Europe. Since the Enlightenment, a large number of intellectual giants who have influenced the world, such as David Hume, Adam Smith and Darwin, either studied or taught here. The prosperity of culture and the progress of society have earned Edinburgh the reputation of "Athens of the North".

Walking on the cobblestone roads built in the Middle Ages in Edinburgh, one can look up and see the ancient castles that have stood among the volcanic rocks for hundreds of years. The entire city exudes an elegant and rich historical and artistic atmosphere. From 2015 to 2019, I was pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Edinburgh, and was fortunate enough to leisurely immerse myself in the cultural and academic atmosphere of the ancient city of Edinburgh. This city was not only the stage where I conducted educational learning and research in those years, but also the city itself was a colorful site for educational practice. From the daily community life to the public green Spaces in the city center, from the solemn and quiet art galleries to the bustling art stages, children's figures are everywhere. In Edinburgh, children are not only the future of the city but also its current masters.

Urban communities: The starting point for children to understand the world

Bertbelo is a well-known seaside community in the northern suburbs of Edinburgh. On fine days, its long beaches are crowded with citizens coming from the city centre to enjoy the slow pace of life. One late autumn weekend morning, I was jogging by the seaside in Bertbelo. To avoid the throng of people walking shoulder to shoulder by the sea, I took a small path into the local community. The surrounding noise was quickly filtered out. A few seagulls flew overhead, and I could hear the sound of their wings flapping.

After jogging for a while on the community road of Snake Dragonfly, I suddenly heard melodious music coming from the nearby community park. Following the sound, in a community park, I saw a lively and warm scene. Several local elderly people formed a band, playing cheerful music, while children were dancing to the music beside them. Several stalls were neatly lined up on the grass in the park. Some stalls displayed organic fruits and vegetables with dew on them, while others displayed handicrafts made by community artisans. There were also local families bringing their children to "set up stalls" to sell cultural T-shirts to raise funds for refugee children in the Palestinian region. After chatting with a few locals in the park, I learned that Bert Bello holds a market in the community park every first Saturday morning of the month.

For the local community residents, this market not only offers a place to purchase goods related to the community but also provides a great opportunity for mutual communication. For young children, participating in community activities is also an important opportunity for learning and growth. The Scottish music played by local elders not only serves as the backdrop to the lively and vibrant community life but also adds a touch of brightness to it.

In fact, the UK places great emphasis on the educational function of communities, and it is common to see young children at various activities, big or small, in communities. In the market of the Bertelbelo community, young children not only enjoy the cheerful atmosphere but also continuously expand the boundaries of their cognition with the community as the center, shaping their attitudes towards a broader world. Several young children lingered among the not-so-large stalls in the park. Organic fruits and vegetables made them understand the relationship between food and the earth and nature. Handicrafts made by local artisans made them understand the value of art and the meaning of creative expression. The charity sale allowed them to cherish the current peaceful life and at the same time develop empathy for those children thousands of miles away who had never met but were suffering from the ravages of war. And the child dancing in front of the elderly band makes one can't help but wonder: years later, when he has grown up and encounters inevitable setbacks on the long road of life, will the wonderful neighborhood times of his childhood become a "healing" memory for his entire life? We often say that cities make life better. Here, it should not only refer to their excellent hardware, but also that cities can create heartwarming childhood memories.

Urban green space: A paradise for children's adventures

The British love rural life. Despite being the first to enjoy the convenience of urbanization, deep down in their hearts, they all seem to have a "pastoral dream". Even in cities, the British are trying to restore a natural way of life to a certain extent. In the city centre of Edinburgh, there is a Princes Street Park. Right beside the park is the bustling commercial main street, Princes Street, which connects the World Heritage Site Edinburgh Castle with Edinburgh's main railway station. In mid-spring, cherry blossoms bloom in clusters, making the tall castle not far away gentle. The ramps in the park rise and fall, and are covered with large areas of grass open to pedestrians. The most common sight on the grass are children playing and puppies frolicking.

When the weather is fine, people will see children rolling down from the top of the grassland slope with great enthusiasm and then running back to the top to continue playing, repeating this cycle. The children were covered in mud from the slope, but the parents sitting and chatting on the bench nearby remained calm and composed. Instead of scolding them, they smiled and encouraged them. Some younger children were initially hesitant when standing at the top of the slope, but they were soon infected and joined in the slope rolling. Their fear and courage were soon replaced by excitement and enjoyment. Many children who don't know each other often form groups at the last minute, spontaneously set the rules of the game and start impromptu slope rolling races. The grassy slopes in this open park allow children to get close to nature in the heart of the city. They exercise their bodies and build up their courage here, and also interact with others and engage in socialized learning.

Back then, some Chinese parents I met who visited the UK were all stunned when they saw many young children rolling down the slope together and covered in mud at Prince Street Park. "Is it clean to play like this?" "Is this safe?" " "Did their parents just let them 'rebel' like this?" " Our parents often have similar questions, but for local British parents, the grassy ramps in the park, far from the traffic and maintained by workers on a daily basis, are precisely the perfect place to safely play "adventure games".

A large number of studies have proved that moderate adventure in nature is a good opportunity for young children to learn. Modern urban life seems to always be associated with steel and concrete. After getting away from nature and the soil, children's lifestyles and play areas have also been "urbanized" accordingly. This not only leads to the disappearance of traditional childhood life, but also brings about problems such as emotional anxiety and sensory integration dysfunction in young children. The cure for these problems may not be found in the numerous "tutorial classes" or "problem correction classes".

During the process of urbanization, if urban managers leave a clean grassy slope where children can roll around and parents are brave enough to encourage their children to take appropriate risks, then the "urban diseases" of these contemporary children will be alleviated accordingly. From this perspective, a child-friendly city does not mean isolating all potential risks and leaving children with no chance to take risks at all. Instead, it should grant children the right and opportunity to take moderate risks.

In fact, absolute safety does not exist. Excessive emphasis on safety may instead deprive children of the opportunity to learn.

Urban Stage: A Window for children's art appreciation and expression

A truly child-friendly city is not only one that takes into account the convenience of children's use during the process of urban hardware renewal, but also one that provides cultural nourishment and artistic supplementation for the growth of young children in the process of urban development.

Visitors to Edinburgh for the first time, looking at the ancient buildings whose facades have been dyed black by time, always marvel at the city's long history. However, this ancient city also has another side, which is the avant-garde cultural and art festival held every year. Especially the Edinburgh Festival, which runs through the entire month of August, as one of the world's largest urban art festivals, attracts several times more visitors than the city's permanent residents in years without the pandemic, becoming a city brand of Edinburgh. In these activities, children will never be marginalized in the feast of urban culture. On the contrary, art activities targeted at children often become the cultural focus of the entire city.

Although the Edinburgh Festival has a special session for children, it still seems not enough. Therefore, every May, Edinburgh holds the "Edinburgh International Children's Festival", which is entirely for children. Since 1990, people have always been able to find programs that can touch their hearts at the annual children's cultural feast. During this festival, children have the opportunity to experience the charm of art with their families and peers in the venues scattered throughout the city. Compared with merely enhancing academic performance, parents in the UK place greater emphasis on their children's art education and the cultivation of their creativity. Here, art is not a "minor subject", nor is it an embellishment to weekend interest classes. Instead, it is the most important channel for expression during childhood and the cornerstone for the lifelong development of personal creativity. Thus, in theaters, on stages, and in galleries, children and the city complement each other. The city provides children with Spaces for artistic expression and appreciation, while children, as independent individuals, participate in the process of creating the city's culture and endow this ancient city with a touch of vitality.

During the years I studied at the University of Edinburgh, this city imperceptibly provided me with a community model for researching, understanding and practicing education. Such a child-friendly city never speaks to children with a stern face. On the contrary, over the years, I have felt that this city often bends down, gently nourishes children's growth, communicates with them on an equal footing, and regards children as the true builders of the city's culture. Cities have a soul, and the attitudes of different cities towards children are also quite different. I believe that as the construction of child-friendly cities in our country progresses, we will also be able to find a development path for cities that meets international standards and has Chinese characteristics, and is capable of embracing and educating children.