García-Mira, R. & Goluboff, M. (2005). Perception of urban space from two experiences: Pedestrian and automobile passangers. In R. García Mira et al. (eds.). Housing, space and quality of life (pp. 7-16), Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 0-7546-4255-0 Chapter 2 The Perception of Urban Space from Two Different Viewpoints: Pedestrians and Automobile Passengers Ricardo García-Mira and Myriam Goluboff Introduction The last few decades have seen a progressive revitalization of our cities, bringing in its wake the rehabilitation of a large number of public spaces that contribute to the leisure and welfare of their inhabitants. This transformation of urban space, however, has had to compete on the one hand with the powerful forces of land speculation, and on the other with a dramatic increase in the number of vehicles on the roads and streets; both of which pose major problem for local government. The habits that have been developed by adult automobile users have been reinforced on two levels: firstly, by the status associated with the possession and use of a private vehicle, and secondly, by the greater safety associated with the transport of children and adults alike by automobile, an association which is partly due to parental fears for their children’s safety (Harden, 2000; Francis and Lorenzo, 2002; Björklid, 2002). Other factors that have led to an increased use of the automobile for journeys within the city are the ‘adultization’ of childhood as a result of the need to occupy children’s time with activities that are programmed for them by adults, such as music lessons or sport (Francis and Lorenzo, 2002; Risotto, 2002), or parental belief that there is no other alternative, that they live a long way from schools or colleges, or that it is more convenient to take them by automobile on the way to work (Gatersleben, 2002). As a result, the disconnection between children’s experience and the urban environment, and their being deprived of the ability to freely explore the environment for themselves (see also Rissotto and Tonucci, 2002), with the resulting logical prejudice to journeys on foot, has had a clear effect on the acquisition of knowledge of the environment and on the opportunity to experience the environment and integrate it cognitively. The increased use of the automobile in our cities and the sharp rise in the number of vehicles on the road have meant a considerable reduction in