A participatory process to develop improvements to children’s shared areas

Abstract

Research which evaluates Social Housing (SH) in Brazil often points out unfavorable conditions expressed by residents, in terms of the residential unit and common spaces, as well as surroundings. Participatory processes to improve projects are considered essential for political, social and economic reasons, and user values need to be prioritized. Processes to develop improvements for existing SH, that include residents as protagonists, with active participation, may guide more effective actions. However, participatory processes for home and public area renovations require procedures to effectively achieve their technical objectives and meet the needs and desires of their residents with feasibility of implementation. This research developed a case study with the participation of residents of a small SH project in Campinas - SP, with a specific focus on improvements for the children's leisure areas. The study involved the public targeted, children living in the analyzed SH complex, in defining their leisure space through dynamics and playful activities. Qualitative results are presented of this participatory process, involving children. Knowledge gained is methodological, with lessons learned for the planning and development of participatory co-design projects with children.