Analysis and Optimization Prioritization of School Routes in Mountainous Cities Based on Child-Friendly Principles: A Case Study of Chongqing

This study addresses the critical gap in designing child-friendly school commuting routes in mountainous cities like Chongqing, where steep terrain and complex infrastructure pose unique challenges to children’s safety and accessibility. Combining Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and the Kano model, we systematically evaluated 19 design elements across safety, interest, and convenience dimensions through comprehensive field research and surveys involving 611 participants. Our analysis identified emergency signage systems, street greening, and parent pick-up points as pivotal optimization factors, while revealing significant improvement needs for vehicle speed limits and anti-slip pavement. The findings demonstrate how context-specific, evidence-based design solutions can effectively enhance children’s commuting experiences in challenging urban environments, providing urban planners with a scientifically-grounded framework that adapts child-friendly principles to mountainous contexts. This research advances the field of child-friendly urban planning by bridging the current theoretical-practical divide and offering actionable strategies tailored to geographically constrained cities.