Children’s preferences in urban street design: an image-based best-worst scaling experiment

Children’s active mobility has been steadily declining, raising concerns about how they perceive their traffic environments while walking and cycling. This study explores adolescents’ preferences for urban street design that encourages active mobility, employing an innovative image-based best-worst scaling (BWS) method with multi-profiles. The research involved children aged 12–14 from three schools in Austria and consisted of a preliminary study to define relevant attributes, a BWS experiment, and ex-post interviews with participants. The results reveal that children are highly aware of their surroundings and place significant importance on the design of street spaces. Key factors influencing their sense of safety and well-being as pedestrians included less litter, more greenery, fewer pedestrians, and wider sidewalks. For cyclists, a greater distance from car lanes, lower levels of car traffic, and increased greenery were crucial in enhancing their perceptions of well-being and safety. Additionally, interaction effects between the attributes were identified, offering deeper insights into their preferences. The findings underscore the need for tailored urban design elements that align with adolescents’ needs and preferences, contributing to the development of healthier, safer, and more engaging urban spaces.