Improvements by Residential Neighborhood Types for Activation of Children’s Outdoor Play

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyse the conditions of neighborhoods in Seoul and to propose improvements by residential neighborhood types activating children’s outdoor play. Based on the analysis of 4 sites by residential neighborhood types in Southwest district, the study suggests the following improvements. First, in ‘low-rise residential dense area’, it suggests to use neighborhood parks and schools actively in order to solve the problem of the lack of play space in the neighborhood. Especially, the school that is the hub of the neighborhood and the connection point of the children’s social networks should de considered actively. Second, in ‘residential mixed area’, it suggests that to use schools and outdoor spaces of apartments adjacent to the school actively in order to solve the problem of the lack of play space in the low-rise housing. Third, in ‘apartment complex dense area’, it suggests that to break boundaries between apartments to link play spaces in each apartment, and to design boundaries of the school and apartments as public spaces, in order to improve the current poor school-route conditions. Four, in ‘large scale apartment complex’, it suggest to use the car-free pedestrian lane adject to the school actively as the street-play space and to establish child-friendly travel routes within neighborhoods.