Planning for adolescence : physical and psycho-social environmental conditions to facilitate positive adolescent development

Early adolescence is a time of accelerated development comparable only to the first two years of life. As with the first two years, the speed and magnitude of changes in early adolescence makes this stage critical in determining who we are. This research was an effort to discover the physical and psycho-social conditions needed in a community to create opportunities for positive adolescent development. Adolescent goals, objectives, and tasks that may be required for positive adolescent development were generated from a literature review in the fields of psychology, sociology, leisure and recreation, planning theory, and environmental design. Physical, social, and political conditions of the three major living environments-urban, suburban, and rural were evaluated. This investigation revealed the conditions and institutions that adolescents are confronted with in America today. The combined information was formatted into matrixes. The matrixes assisted in an evaluation that focused on the ability of environments and institutions to facilitate the tasks necessary to achieve positive adolescent development. Adolescence is a culturally defined period of development. Our culture has established certain goals believed to be necessary to achieve positive adolescent development. It is proposed that certain environmental conditions can make accessible, to adolescents, the institutions necessary to achieve the goals of adolescence. For the early adolescent lack of access to the necessary institutions may create conflict-making adolescence more difficult than it need be. The opportunities for spontaneous involvement, strong social ties, and a sense of belonging appear as critical characteristics of a community providing for positive adolescent development. The challenge to the planning profession is to make policies and plans, that when implemented, will provide supportive conditions for positive adolescent development.