The purpose of this study is to examine two different housing areas in Hudiksvall. Håstahöjden/Håstaskogen is one of the areas from the ”miljonprogrammet” and was built during the last years of the 60’s. The other housing area is Kattvikskajen, located by the sea and is intended to be a new part of the city. The focus is on whether and how a child perspective has been considered in the planning of these two urban areas and how they have been publicly received by the press over time. The study is based on textual analysis, using discourse analysis on public documents, newspaper articles and dialogues with tenants in the Håstahöjden/Håstaskogen area. The conclusion of this study shows that when Håstahöjden/Håstaskogen was built there was a clear focus on developing the housing to safeguard a child’s perspective. This is clearly shown in the design of the buildings. There was a room especially for the children, for their activities and games in each house. The outdoor design included several seats for social life, playgrounds, and areas close to nature with opportunities for the children to take part in physical activities. The narrative in examined newspaper articles during the first ten years mostly concerned criminal activities. Next to them were reports on children and how they spent their spare time. From the discourse point of view there is a stigmatizing that can be experienced differently depending on the outside or the inside perspective. Kattvikskajen’s area in the harbour is much smaller, it is supposed to be a close link to the centre of the city and lacks the close nature. The advantage is the nearness to the city, the transport system and the sea. The future tenants are believed to be new people with new ideas capable of bringing new ideas into the industry and economy and who appreciate the possibilities of commuting. Quality programmes show the intentions of taking the child’s perspective in designing activity parks for different ages and a park with opportunities of playing. The close location of the housing area to the sea and the railway make it doubtful whether it is suitable for small children or even designed for small children. Older children and especially the young people will most certainly find the area attractive. Owing to the location, the architectonic expression that implies a partly private area turns the whole building area into an area that is excluding for small children.