Co-Designing School Routes with Children: What Matters in Sensory Design for Wellbeing?

Children’s physical and mental wellbeing is declining, partly due to reduced independent mobility and lack of engaging public environments. This study explores a co-design approach in which children actively participated in a series of design workshops focused on improving school routes through sensory engagement and imagination. Using sensory walks, students mapped positive and negative experiences in their everyday surroundings. Through hands-on creative exercises and the integration of AI and VR tools, they developed design proposals envisioning safer, more enjoyable, and inclusive mobility environments. The findings reveal that while children are highly capable of generating creative and context-sensitive ideas, they are less accustomed to reflecting on sensory input beyond vision. The results underscore the importance of designing urban spaces that prioritize safety, playfulness, and multisensory richness, with particular emphasis on nature and emotional connection.