Designing for movement: a child-centered evaluation of spatial features in residential open spaces

This study explores how children aged 7-13 perceive and prefer architectural features in residential open spaces to better align design with their physical and behavioral needs. Using a visual-choice questionnaire with 36 paired images across four Iranian cities, 462 children evaluated nine environmental variables, such as scale, terrain, cohesion, and vegetation diversity. Results show that children favor cohesive, flexible, and varied spaces. Active play benefits from scale and vegetation diversity, while structured games require more consistent settings. The study highlights children’s ability to assess spatial qualities and offers evidence-based insights for designing child-friendly residential environments.