Design for Children of Migrant

Project Vision

This design initiative focuses on transforming public spaces in urban villages to better serve the needs of migrant children, creating inclusive and educational environments. The project addresses the unique challenges faced by children of migrant workers in rapidly urbanizing areas, where public spaces often fail to provide safe, accessible, and developmentally appropriate environments for these vulnerable populations.

Context and Challenges

Children of migrants in urban villages face multiple challenges:

• Limited access to quality educational facilities
• Unsafe or inadequate play spaces
• Lack of cultural and social integration opportunities
• Temporary or precarious housing situations
• Exclusion from formal urban planning processes

Research Methodology

The project employed multiple research methods:

• Ethnographic studies of children’s daily activities and movements
• Participatory mapping with children and caregivers
• Spatial analysis of existing public spaces
• Interviews with community leaders, teachers, and parents
• Case studies of successful interventions in similar contexts

Design Principles

Based on the research, key design principles were established:

• Affordability and simplicity of implementation
• Flexibility to accommodate multiple uses and age groups
• Incorporation of educational elements in play spaces
• Safety features specific to children’s needs
• Cultural responsiveness to diverse backgrounds

Design Interventions

The project proposes several types of interventions:

• Transformation of underutilized spaces between buildings into safe play areas
• Creation of informal learning environments integrated with play spaces
• Mobile furniture systems that can be reconfigured for different activities
• Small-scale urban agriculture projects that educate and provide food security
• Weather protection elements to extend usable hours of outdoor spaces

Community Engagement

The design process actively involved the community through:

• Design workshops with children using age-appropriate methods
• Building projects that involved parents and community members
• Skills training for community maintenance of the spaces
• Creation of local governance structures for ongoing management
• Documentation of the process for replication in other communities

Impact Assessment

The project’s success is measured through:

• Increased utilization of public spaces by migrant children
• Improved social integration between migrant and local children
• Enhanced educational outcomes through informal learning spaces
• Strengthened community bonds through collaborative processes
• Development of children’s agency and sense of belonging

Implementation Strategy

The implementation follows a phased approach:

• Initial pilot projects in selected urban villages
• Documentation and refinement of successful interventions
• Training programs for community implementation
• Policy recommendations for scaling up successful approaches
• Creation of a design toolkit for other communities