Invoking the Discourse of Children's Rights in Campaigns Around Public Space

Increasing emphasis is being placed on the need to consider children's rights in planning decisions. However, the way these rights are claimed by adults can be problematic, especially when planning decisions are controversial and contested. Drawing on interview data with participants engaged in campaigning around the development of a green space in Cardiff, we show how the adult appropriation of children's rights to support such campaigns may not only be misleading but potentially damaging. We conclude by discussing the limits of age-based rights claims and the need to ensure that children's rights are not appropriated for adult agendas.