Design and research: Critique

Is there a place for children in the city?

A critique.

The article very accurately breaks down the question into relatable parts and then very succinctly answers each part. The issue is very well argued as a problem that needs addressing and the article keeps the points on the topic well. The paper is very closely related to our research where we are looking to explore ways in which the city of Brisbane can adapt to the children of the city, this article questions the validity of encouraging children into our cities.

The material is rational and flows in a correct and logical manner. The goals and rationale are explicitly explained and argued. This article does not often go into basic premise or assumption and often references basic knowledge based around the subject. This information is indeed quite relevant and interesting.

This article does not provide any new information but instead summarises and references previous knowledge to form a rational argument. This information is timely as it is a growing concern with a consistently expanding population and it is a growing trend for children to live in the city.

all assertions are strong and well supported. All of the research and referencing is appropriate. All sources that are cited bring new evidence to support the argument and each is referenced in a agreeable manner within the article. This paper is relevant for practice because it highlights very important issues about the practices involved around the design of cities.

The research method is diverse and sources information from research data as well as documents. One weakness may be that there was no research done by the author into the issue and rather just references made of other research previously completed. Secondly, this research is very general. While it paints an accurate picture of most cities around the world, the research is referenced from sources with no common geographical location. This often makes the research hard to completely believe in some areas as the reader compares the research with Brisbane city.

The discussion flows well from the results and the article is well defined. The conclusion argument is strong and highlights the argument clearly. Some ethical issues may arise with data from interviews with mothers about their children bring referenced but, the issues lie with the original gatherer of the raw data and not the author.