SICTA ahead: behavioural design in children's mobility environments

The project SICTA forward: behavioural design in children's mobility environments has aimed to explore how co-design with children can contribute to the transition towards more active, attractive and sustainable mobility systems.

Focusing on children's routes to school, a co-creative behavioural design approach was applied where children participated as co-creators to develop ideas for safer and more stimulating routes to school.

In early summer and fall 2024, six workshops were conducted with students in grades 5-6. Through sensory walks, positive, neutral and negative experiences of the school routes were mapped. The children were also asked to express their ideas about tunnels, pedestrian crossings, nature and cycle paths using various creative materials. Tools such as AI and VR were used to create future visions of school routes and enabled visualisation of different concepts.

The project generated valuable insights into what creates value, such as how sensory experiences in the form of sight, smell, sound and tactility affect children's experiences of mobility environments. Forests, animals and nature were seen as positive features that should be enhanced, while tunnels and pedestrian crossings were often associated with insecurity and a need for improvement. Children also suggested playful elements such as hopscotch and other activities that could make school routes more stimulating and encourage more people to walk or cycle to school.

The project contributes to a deeper understanding of how children experience their routes to school and shows the potential of engaging with children in design processes. By strengthening children's participation, future mobility systems can be designed in ways that promote both safety and sustainability, and stimulate active and engaging transportation for children.

Funder: Vinnova

Photo: Jessica Rohdin