Towards Child-Friendly Streetscape in Migrant Workers’ Communities in China: A Social–Ecological Design Framework

Qianxi Zhang, Xinkai Wang (), Yat Ming Loo, Wu Deng, Weixuan Chen, Mindong Ni and Ling Cheng
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Qianxi Zhang: School of Design, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China
Xinkai Wang: School of Design, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China
Yat Ming Loo: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, China
Wu Deng: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, China
Weixuan Chen: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Mindong Ni: Ningbo Urban Planning and Design Institute, Ningbo 315100, China
Ling Cheng: School of Design, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 10, 1-26

Abstract: Designing child-friendly streetscapes is a pragmatic and effective approach to addressing the limited outdoor play spaces and social exclusion experienced by migrant children living in vulnerable residential areas. However, the existing research and guidelines on streetscape design lack specificity for migrant workers’ communities and fail to provide full-cycle design process guidance for real-world practices. By taking a social–ecological perspective and synthesizing the existing literature, this paper develops an integrated design framework with seven indicators to guide three stages of child-friendly streetscape regeneration in migrant workers’ communities. The effectiveness of this framework was validated by application in a case project in a typical migrant workers’ community in Ningbo, China. The results show that the social–ecological design framework can help maximize opportunities for various children’s activities on the street with limited spatial resources. It also contributes to creating inclusive streetscapes to promote social cohesion by integrating social and cultural elements, children’s participation, and place-making activities. However, institutional barriers, cultural norms, and limited resources impede children’s participation and sustainable operations, which calls for more attention to be paid to “software” building. The new framework and research findings serve as a valuable guide and reference for practitioners in the field of child-friendly environmental design, especially in the context of marginalized communities in developing countries.

Keywords: social–ecological design framework; child-friendly streetscape; community regeneration; migrant workers; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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