Wirewalky – Children on Sidewalks
Encouraged by the fact that there has been a huge decline in children’s independent mobility over the last decades, through this project I have been trying to find a design solution to make sidewalks more fun and attractive for children.
This process consisted of research, several workshops, interviews with children, material exploration, exhibition and finally resulted in a design concept Wirewalky.
Wirewalky is a project that aims to encourage children to walk more, and parents to support their children’s independent walking/cycling. It is a system of playful installations throughout a city neighborhood.
Wirewalky isn’t just about these 9 playful installations – it also creates an interesting walking path that provides children with an inspiring journey through their surroundings. The installations are connected with “path connectors” (kind of street bolsters). They show children an easier and safer way from one installation to the other and are increasing the visibility of Wirewalky inside the local area. As most of the street furniture, all elements are made of concrete and steel, due to its resilience and good up-keeping properties. The installations are in forms of enlarged electrical plugs, sockets and wires, representing the empowerment and the visibility of (wired) connection (as opposed to wireless) – as the sidewalks should be: a place to connect the local residents and to empower children with new skills and experiences.
