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Asphalt kids and the matrix city: reminiscences of children's urban environmental history

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2011

SIMO LAAKKONEN
SIMO LAAKKONEN*
Affiliation:
Landscape Studies, University of Turku, PO Box 124, 28101 Pori, Finland
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Abstract:

Existing research in urban environmental history is often characterized by a narrow viewpoint or limited material reflecting the rationalist approach typical of white, middle-aged, middle-class and educated men. This orientation risks overlooking the viewpoint of the majority of urban dwellers: ordinary men, women, children, the elderly and different ethnic groups. The article focuses on the urban environmental history of children, because childhood forms the foundation for our relationship with nature. Environmental reminiscences offer fruitful material for the study of children's urban environmental history as well as children's contemporary relationships with the urban landscape. The article integrates aspects of urban history, environmental history and evolutionary psychology.

Type
Research Article
Information
Urban History , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , August 2011 , pp. 301 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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References

1 I wish to thank Jorma Kivistö, MA, and the ladies of FOHN (Finnish Oral History Network) for useful comments and Julie Uusinarkaus, MA, for revising the language. This publication is part of a project entitled ‘Happy days? The everyday life and nostalgia of the extended 1950s’ supported by the Academy of Finland (project number 137923).

2 See, e.g., Brimblecombe, P., The Big Smoke (London, 1987)Google Scholar; Cronon, W., Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England (New York, 1983)Google Scholar; Nash, R., Wilderness and the American Mind (New Haven, 1982)Google Scholar; Melosi, M., Garbage in the Cities: Refuse, Reform and the Environment, 1880–1980 (London, 1981)Google Scholar; Tarr, J., The Search for the Ultimate Sink: Urban Air, Land and Water Pollution in Historical Perspective (Washington, 1984)Google Scholar.

3 See, e.g., Legnér, M. and Lilja, S. (eds.), Living Cities: An Anthology in Urban Environmental History (Shockholm, 2010)Google Scholar.

4 See, Hughes, D.J., What is Environmental History? (Cambridge 2006)Google Scholar.

5 Only one white, middle-aged, middle-class and educated man was involved in completing this article.

6 Laakkonen, S. and Kivistö, J., ‘Kaatopaikan Helmi: Avaus helsinkiläisten lasten ympäristöhistoriaan’ (Introduction to the environmental history of Helsinki children), in Hannikainen, M. and Salasuo, M. (eds.), Elämän muotoja. Kertomuksia yksilöistä ja yhteiskunnasta (Forms of life: tales of individuals and society) (Rauma, 2001), 21–43Google Scholar.

7 Mergen, B., ‘Children and nature in history’, Environmental History, 4 (2003), 643–69CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

8 Prout, A. and Allison, J., Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood: New Directions in the Sociological Study of Childhood (London, 1990)Google Scholar.

9 See, e.g., Heywood, C., A History of Childhood: Children and Childhood in the West from Medieval to Modern Times (Cambridge, 2001)Google Scholar; Rahikainen, M., Centuries of Child Labour: European Experiences from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century (Aldershot, 2004)Google Scholar.

10 See, e.g., Humphries, S., Hooligans or Rebels?: An Oral History of Working Class Childhood and Youth 1889–1939 (Oxford, 1981)Google Scholar; Nasaw, D., Children of the City: At Work and At Play (New York, 1986)Google Scholar.

11 See, e.g., Stokols, D. and Altman, I. (eds.), Handbook of Environmental Psychology (New York, 1987)Google Scholar; Horelli, L. and Prezza, M. (eds.), Child-Friendly Environments, Approaches and Lessons (Espoo, 2004)Google Scholar; Louv, R., Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Chapel Hill, 2005)Google Scholar.

12 An easily accessible photo archive is the European Visual Archive, EVA, whose collections contain many photographs related to children.

13 S. Laakkonen, S. Laurila, P. Kansanen and H. Schulman (eds.), Näkökulmia Helsingin ympäristöhistoriaan, Kaupunki ja sen ympäristö 1800- ja 1900-luvulla (Approaches to the environmental history of Helsinki. The city and its environment in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries) (Helsinki, 2001) (in Finnish). See http://blogit.helsinki.fi/envirohist/english/.

14 I have used the reminiscences collected by Professor Anna-Maria Åström's workgroup particularly for the description of the home yard. See Åström, A.-M., Olsson, P. and Kivistö, J. (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa – muistikuvia asumisesta Helsingin keskustassa (City life. Memories of living in the downtown area) (Helsinki, 1998)Google Scholar. The reminiscences from this collection are preceded by the letter A in source references.

15 Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 12.

16 Korkiakangas, P., Muistoista rakentuva lapsuus (Helsinki, 1996), 15–17, 36–8Google Scholar.

17 Heikki Nevanlinna, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 50.

18 A: Martti ja Lauri Larme (♂, 1950).

19 Pantke, Arja (1940); Merja Pipinen, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 119.

20 A: Sirkka Sofia Mustanoja (1914); Timo Koivula, in ibid., 252.

21 A: Martti ja Lauri Larme (♂, 1950); A: Librarian (1944).

22 A: Sirkka Sofia Mustanoja (1914).

23 Nevanlinna, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 56; Sirkka Sandelin (1940s).

24 Inker-Marja Honkasalo (1913).

25 A: Arvo Soisalo (♂, 1937).

26 Anna-Maria Ein (1919).

27 Arja Pantke (1940).

28 Nevanlinna, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa,, 59; Koivula, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 254; A: Jouni Arjava (♂); Koivula, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 254.

29 Ata Hautamäki (1944); Inker-Marja Honkasalo (1913).

30 A: Jouni Arjava (♂, 1940s). Emphasis in the original text.

31 Kaisa Laine (1915) and Maire Kahrala (1916). Interview done by Simo Laakkonen in Helsinki, 25 Oct. 1995.

32 A: Hemmi Koivuniemi (♂, no date of birth).

33 Koivula, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 253.

34 Helmi Lehtonen (1917).

35 Ata Hautamäki (1944).

36 Pseudonym ’Tölikän tyttö’ (1932).

37 Helmi Lehtonen (1917).

38 Anna Maria Ein (1919).

39 Salme Karjalainen (1928).

40 Meri Lahtinen (1908).

41 Arja Pantke (1940).

42 Ulpukka Tenhunen (1911).

43 Pirkko Airamo (1928).

44 Eila Koso (1952).

45 Sirkka Sandelin (1940s).

46 Pirkko Airamo (1928).

47 Huttunen, H., ‘Krunikan kundin muisteluksia’, in Huttunen, H., Lintunen, M., Mielonen, M. and Tiainen, S. (eds.), Kalaan Helsingin vesille (Fishing in the waters of Helsinki) (Helsinki 1997), 82Google Scholar.

48 Suhonen, P., ‘Intiaani saaressa’, in Haavikko, P. (ed.), Helsinki: Kaupunki graniittisilla juurilla, avaralla niemellä (Helsinki: A city with roots of granite on an open peninsula) (Helsinki 2000), 239Google Scholar.

49 ‘Tölikän tyttö’ (1932).

50 A: Jouni Arjava (♂); Nevanlinna, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa,, 65.

51 Ata Hautamäki (♂, 1944).

52 Kai Snellman (♂, 1928).

53 Helsingin Sanomat, 6 Oct. 1999.

54 Liisa Lehtinen (n.d.).

55 Vesta Pulkkanen (1922).

56 V. Hertell, ‘Savikylän pojat', Malmin kuvalehti (2006), 6.

57 Salola, E., Eks muista. Elinpäivien hymyä ja vakavaa (Jyväskylä, 1976), 80Google Scholar.

58 A: Martti and Lauri Larme (♂, 1950).

59 Deputy city manager Dr Martin Meinander (♂, 1940), interview done by the author at City Hall in spring 2000; Leo Sundell (♂, 1923).

60 Huttunen, ’Krunikan kundin muisteluksia’, 82–3.

61 Kalle Purasjoki (♂, 1911); interview done by the author in Helsinki in summer 1994.

62 Toivo Helpi (♂, 1921); A: Jouni Arjava (♂, n.d.); Timo Koivula (♂, n.d.), in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 269–70.

63 Urpu Eloranta (1943).

64 Koivula, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 270; Heli Lidman (1937).

65 A: Police officer (♂, 1915).

66 Ritva Virtanen (1947).

67 Reijo Kanerva (♂, n.d.), in an interview done by the author in Helsinki, 1 Sep. 2001; Hima 4, 14 Dec. 2009, 21.

68 Pirkko Airamo (1928).

69 Ahti Nieminen (♂, 1919).

70 Urpu Eloranta (1943).

71 Inker-Marja Honkasalo (1913); A: Librarian (1944).

72 Pekka Nuorteva (♂, 1926), in an interview done by the author in Helsinki, 26 Oct. 1995; Kaisa Laine (1915) and Maire Kahrala (1916), in an interview done by the author in Helsinki, 25 Oct. 1995.

73 Inker-Marja Honkasalo (1913).

74 J. Laaksonen, ‘Luontoretkellä’, in I. Vähä-Piikkiö (ed.), Lauttasaaren luontoatlas (Helsinki, 2002), 39.

75 Helsingin kaupungin tilastollinen vuosikirja (Statistical yearbook of the City of Helsinki) (Helsinki, 1960), 323–5.

76 A: Hemmi Koivuniemi (♂, n.d.).

77 Inker-Marja Honkasalo (1913).

78 Juha Anttila (♂, 1940); see Lahtinen, R. and Vuorisalo, T., ‘“It's war and everyone can do as they please!” An environmental history of a Finnish city in wartime’, Environmental History, 9 (2004), 675–96CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

79 Eila Tunnela (1936), in an interview done by the author in Helsinki, 16 May 1996.

80 Helmiriitta Honkanen (1920).

81 Sirkka Sandelin (1940s).

82 Nevanlinna, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 59.

83 Pirkko Airamo (1928).

84 A: Hemmi Koivuniemi (♂, n.d.).

85 Juha Anttila (♂, 1940).

86 Heli Lidman (1937).

87 Sirkka Sandelin (1940s).

88 Aili Jokinen (1917), in a telephone interview done by the author in spring 1995.

89 Kaisa Laine (1915) and Maire Kahrala (1916), interview done by the author in Helsinki, 25 Oct. 1995.

90 Helmi Ahlberg, interview done by the author in Helsinki, 26 Oct. 1995; Koivula 1998, 254.

91 Juha Anttila (♂, 1940).

92 A: Sirkka Sofia Mustanoja (1914).

93 A: Hemmi Koivuniemi (♂, n.d.).

94 ‘Tölikän tyttö’ (1932); Koivula, in Åström, Olsson and Kivistö (eds.), Elämää kaupungissa, 254; Laaksonen, ‘Luontoretkellä’, 38.

95 Gunnar Koskinen (♂, 1908), in a telephone interview done by the author in 1996; A: Tapani Halonen (♂, 1925); A: Jouni Arjava (♂).

96 Haavikko, Helsinki, 279.

97 V. Keskinen, ‘One in three households has a pet’, Quarterly Helsinki Kvartti, 3 (1997), 39.

98 Helsinki Urban Facts, Questionnaire 2008 (unpublished material).

99 ‘Tölikän tyttö’ (1932).

100 A: Jouni Arjava (♂).

101 A: Risto Pitkänen (♂, 1943).

102 C.A. Tandy, ‘Children's diminishing play space. A study of intergenerational change in children's use of their neighbourhood’, Australian Geographical Studies, 2 (1999), 154–64.

103 City of Helsinki Urban Facts, Helsinki alueittain 2001, online publication (www.hel.fi/tietokeskus).