SOAB International
Kid Grid
Background
Research has shown that, over the past 15 to 20 years, children literally and figuratively have gotten jammed. In the urban planning they seem to be a forgotten group. A lot of playgrounds disappear in favor of parking space of buildings and the playgrounds that are left become less accessible due to the increasing traffic.
Concentration of facilities of “children’s purposes’ like schools, sport centres, swimming pools an suchlike, results in ever growing distances. The outcome is that children have to be brought and picked up by car by their parents or caretakers. The vicious circle is a fact. Less exercise with all the associated physical consequences and less familiarity with traffic are the logical implications.
The Kid Grid Concept
The concept “Kid Grid” stands for save connections for children who move independently between different places, by foot and bycicle. Kid Grid connects the places where kids can play and stay in a safe and pleasant way. Therefore the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
Kid Grid is custom made
In a city, a district or neighbourhood, there can always be found certain starting points for the realization of Kid Grid. Think of a school, the playground, the community centre. Employees of SOAB make an inventory of these places and then work out, together with the experienced users (these are the children!) which problems they encounter on their routes; conversations are held with all bodies that are active in a district or neighbourhood; these are social workers, police, schools, etc. and of course, the parents aren’t forgotten. Finally a plan is presented, in which all aspects of Kid Grid are represented.
- It will handle the following points:
- as much as possible conflict-free routes
- safe crossing places
- good visibility for and of children in traffic
- a connection between facilities that are important to children
- a route that is clearly recognisable to children
In the Netherlands, people on several locations are working on the realization of Kid Grid. Both in Amsterdam as in Delft plans are on verge of implementation. Neighbouring country Belgium is alse showing interest.
SOAB is working on a hallmark for Kid Grid, which wil guarantee the quality.
For more information: 0031 76 5213080
Zie ook: 
www.kindlint.nl
information: i.spape@soab.nl
