The double reduction policy has significantly reshaped the temporal and spatial patterns of school-age children’s after-school lives, transforming school drop-off/pick-up zones from mere transitional areas into important spaces that support children’s after-school activities and social interactions. This study aims to explore how design interventions can enhance the child-friendliness of these spaces. Adopting a qualitative-led methodology, the research integrates participatory observation, behavioral mapping, and co-creation workshops with children to thoroughly simulate and interpret children’s behavioral patterns and psychological needs within drop-off/pick-up zones following policy implementation. The findings reveal that children’s behavior exhibits new characteristics—shifting from “linear passage” to “patch-like lingering” and “social exploration”—while their needs for safety, fun, and natural elements remain largely unmet. Based on these insights, the study constructs a design strategy framework from the perspectives of environmental psychology and behavioral architecture, encompassing dimensions such as “safe accessibility, functional diversity, sensory comfort, and natural integration.” This framework aims to transform drop-off/pick-up spaces into “urban third places” that support children’s healthy development and stimulate social interaction. The study provides empirical evidence and theoretical innovation for implementing the “child-friendly city” concept at a micro level.
Sha et al. (Tue,) studied this question.