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An Investigation into Children’s Independent Mobility in Residential Public Spaces (Case Study: Rahaee Neighborhood, Mashhad)
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Mahsa Akbari Sharak  , Shahram Pourdeihimi , Jafar Taheri * |
| Ferdowsi University of Mashhad , j.taheri@um.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (11 Views) |
Objective: This study aims to identify factors observed in relation to children's independent mobility (CIM) within the public spaces of residential environments.
Method: A qualitative case study approach was adopted. The research was conducted in the Rahayi neighborhood of Mashhad, Iran. Two alleys, a through alley and a dead‑ended were selected for field study using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Data were gathered through observation, in-depth interviews with 25 families, spatial mapping, and qualitative content analysis of interview data using Maxqda software.
Results: Four clusters of factors related to CIM—environmental, social, familial, and individual—were identified. At the environmental level, children displayed broader territorial ranges in settings with visual and auditory connection to the alley, in dead‑end alleys, and during daylight hours; nighttime conditions, conversely, were marked by more restricted activity zones. Socially, respondents who reported greater familiarity with neighbors and the presence of playmates in the alley also showed wider CIM ranges, whereas fear of strangers was linked with more constrained independent movement. In the familial domain, parenting styles observed in the sample appeared alongside tighter restrictions on CIM; however, families with older siblings allowed younger children to extend their activity range across the entire alley. Individually, children under 8 years of age were subject to closer parental supervision and more confined territories (30–40 meters), and girls consistently demonstrated more limited independent activity compared to boys.
Conclusions: Among the identified factors, parents' perceived sense of safety regarding their ability to monitor their child in the alley emerged as more strongly associated with their decisions than objective environmental conditions. The placement of high-use family spaces—such as kitchens and living rooms—along the alley frontage, with visual and auditory transparency, was observed alongside extended CIM ranges covering the full length of the alley, whereas the absence of such conditions corresponded with ranges restricted to the area immediately outside the home or within a 30‑ to 40‑meter radius. Practical strategies include designing low-traffic or cul-de-sac alleys, implementing traffic-calming measures in through-streets, strengthening neighborhood social ties, creating safe semi-public spaces, and increasing overlook points for girls, given the more direct supervisory patterns they tend to receive. While the study is subject to the limitations inherent in non-probability sampling and its qualitative nature, it nonetheless brings to light the previously underexplored role of visual and auditory connectivity between the home and the alley. |
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| Keywords: Children’s independent mobility (CIM), mobility range, parental license, residential environment. |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
معماری
Received: 2026/04/12 | Accepted: 2026/07/26
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