Demand Analysis and Renovation Strategies of Children's Activity Spaces in Old Residential Complex in Dongguan——Taking Huayuan Village as an Example

With the emergence of the aging population in China and the relaxation of the three-child policy, children’s issues have garnered continuous attention in society. In recent years, the urban development of China has gradually entered a “stock renewal” optimization stage, and the renovation of old residential compounds has become a significant urban proposition. The residential environment problems in Dongguan’s old residential compounds have become increasingly prominent, and the demand for children’s activity spaces presents complex and diverse challenges. Based on this, this paper, from the perspective of child-friendliness, takes Dongguan’s old residential compounds as the research object, conducting field research and data analysis to explore the supply-demand relationship of children’s activity spaces in these areas. The research first summarizes the progress of child-friendly theoretical research domestically and abroad, and delves into relevant theories, studying the particularities of children from physiological, psychological, behavioral, and needs perspectives. It summarizes and generalizes the four child-friendly elements of children’s activity spaces: accessibility, safety, multifunctionality, and comfort. By analyzing relevant cases of children’s activity space construction in domestic and international residential areas, it draws on strategies that can be referenced, providing theoretical and practical foundations for the research. On this basis, the research conducts systematic studies on three old residential compounds in Dongguan, documenting the physical conditions of children’s activity spaces and children’s behavior. It summarizes the current state and characteristics of the supply of child-friendly elements. A demand indicator system is constructed, consisting of four criterion layers and 13 solution layers. The Kano model is used to classify and prioritize needs. Based on the field survey results, horizontal and vertical analyses of the three compounds are conducted to identify differences and commonalities in children’s needs, as well as the current supply-demand relationship for children’s activity spaces. Based on the demand analysis results, optimization strategies are proposed for the renovation of children’s activity spaces in Dongguan’s old residential compounds, focusing on enhancing accessibility, safety, multifunctionality, and comfort. Implementation methods are proposed, including gradual progress, local adaptation, and child participation. Targeted suggestions are provided for different categories and priorities of needs, such as conducting in-depth studies and proposing specific measures for basic and expected needs like reducing motor vehicle traffic. For indifferent needs, such as increasing caregiving spaces, strategies are explored to find a balance between children’s needs and community development. Finally, Huayuan Village in Dongguan is used as a practical example, applying the research to the overall planning and improving point, linear, and planar spaces, to create safe and comfortable children’s activity spaces. This study provides valuable references and practical examples for the renovation of children’s activity spaces in old residential compounds, promoting the construction of child-friendly cities and offering new ideas for revitalizing old residential compounds in Dongguan.