Investigating the Activity and Behavioral Patterns of Children in both Designated and Undesignated Open Spaces within Gated Residential Communities: A Case Study of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

In South Asian cities, especially in India, the inability to provide a high-quality life and increased migration have led to a rise in gated communities. These gated communities, designed, built, and sold to maximize capital gain within a restricted plot area, fail to address the special needs of children. One reason for this failure is that they are not designed to fit the activity and behavior patterns of children. In such cases, spaces not intended for children become hotspots of their activity. This research identifies and analyzes the parameters that make these non-designated spaces more active. The study aims to record and evaluate the effect of such open spaces on children's recreational activities, using behavior and activity mapping as measurement tools. In the selected case area, identified spaces designated and non-designated, are documented, mapped, and analyzed to list the parameters that made them more active. Statistical tools, such as frequency of uses, intensity matrix, and Karl Pearson correlation, are used to analyze, rank, and find the correlation between the parameters based on their significance. The result provides a list of factors that make these areas children-friendly and indicates that 5.2 percent of the total open areas are non-designated spaces that have become focal points for children's activities, compared to 14.31 percent of designated areas within this community.