Designed by kids for kids: Design strategies for improved outcomes for children's health and wellbeing in suburban environments

Abstract

The rate of childhood obesity in Australia has increased dramatically since the 1960s when only 5% of children were classified as overweight or obese. These figures indicate a dire need to provide more opportunities for children to be physically active daily through active school travel, free play and peer-play so that they can develop better all-round fitness, a wider range of social skills, and greater mental resilience. Schools and communities have attempted to design programs to encourage healthy lifestyles through walking and cycling to school. Despite these efforts however, child health statistics have not dramatically improved and suggest that a new approach is needed. Real and perceived issues of road safety and hazards are a major barrier to community buy-in to walk and cycle to school programs. Research undertaken in the ACT from 2016-2018 show that engaging children in the process of designing new solutions for their health and wellbeing can be a way forward in establishing healthy habits and social norms around walking and cycling to school. This paper outlines several projects that enabled co-design with children and practitioners as well as strategies for engaging local government and schools in the design process.