Abstract: High rise housing has become an increasingly popular form of urban development in Australian capital cities. Yet the effects of high rise residences on children’s well-being remain largely neglected by researchers and policy-makers. This paper reports the preliminary findings of research in central Melbourne with 39 children in public housing and newer middle-class high rises. Of particular interest in this research is the impact of living in high rise housing on children’s independent mobility, which has declined radically in the last 30 years (Whitzman and Pike 2007). What kinds of social and physical elements do children aged 8-12 value in their neighbourhoods? What do they see as barriers and enablers to their independent exploration? The territorial ranges of children in private housing are greater than those living in public housing. The children in public housing do not use many public spaces outside their estates, and complain about the poor quality of infrastructure within the estates. While children in private housing use more nearby facilities, they too complain about inadequate social space within and near their residences. Both groups of children paid great attention to ‘child density’: they like spaces where they can find other children. The findings suggest that planners and developers need to provide more local destinations such as milk bars, courtyard green spaces, and interesting play equipment. More fundamentally, a new planning approach is required that extends beyond purpose built ‘cages’– school yards, playgrounds, and skate parks- to encompass children’s right to explore freely within the entire urban realm.