Chalk campaign at the West School

Which route do children take to school in Jena, where do they cross the road and where are they not happy - these are the questions currently being investigated as part of the "Playable City" concept.

That's why today, Monday, July 3, 2023, the pupils of the West School were asked to mark their way home with chalk on the sidewalks: Arrows for the direction of their route, crosses where they cross a road and squiggles when they have reached their destination. In addition, the elementary school children are currently being asked to share their experiences of walking to school using a questionnaire.

Taking the children's perspective

"In this way, we gain insight into the exact routes that the pupils take. Together with the survey, this gives us a good overview of where the priorities are, where there is potential for improvement and what the children want from their journey to school," explains Prof. Bernhard Meyer from the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt.

He is currently developing the "Playable City" concept for the West School in Jena. This aims to create a safe network and at the same time attractively designed routes for children in the district. This will enable children to move around the city independently and reclaim the public space for themselves.

"To achieve this, it is important to take the children's perspective. But this is only possible with their participation. I am therefore delighted that so many schoolchildren took part," emphasizes Michael Margull, Head of the City of Jena's Mobility Department.

In the next step, the results of the chalk campaign will be recorded and transferred to a city map, and possible locations for playable objects will be recommended. The project is being implemented with the support of teilAuto, a car sharing provider.