Childhood is the most crucial period of human life, and the well-being of children is essential for the growth of any society. Given that children spend a significant amount of time at home, the design of residential environments profoundly impacts their health. Unfortunately, current residential designs are often based solely on the preferences of adults, leading to alarming changes in children’s daily habits. These changes contribute to various health issues, including depression, obesity, aggressive behavior, asthma, attention deficit disorders, and heart disease, often confining children to virtual spaces and depriving them of a healthy childhood.
This research aims to prioritize design components in residential complexes that most effectively promote children’s health and to identify the most important physical criteria for fostering healthy environments for children. To achieve this, a survey questionnaire was developed based on a descriptive-analytical review of relevant literature, targeting four groups: child architects, child psychologists, parents, and educators, totaling 100 participants. The collected data were analyzed using Friedman’s test and Shannon’s entropy, revealing the most significant environmental components affecting children’s health in residential complexes from each group’s perspective.
The results indicate that the most critical shared concern among all four groups is safety and security, which is a fundamental requirement for creating child-friendly environments. Following this, children’s architects emphasize the importance of play spaces as multifunctional areas that support educational, social, psychological, and cultural development. In contrast, parents prioritize adequate lighting and peace of mind regarding their children’s well-being. Psychologists focus on fostering social connections among children to enhance their life skills and independence, while educators share parents’ concerns about sufficient lighting for children’s developmental needs.
