Harbin Institute of Technology - Travel Patterns and Green Space Perception Among Children and Adolescents in Shenzhen
Company overview
Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) is a key campus of Harbin Institute of Technology, located in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. It is a member of China's 'Double First-Class University' initiative and a priority-supported institution under the '985 Project'. Since its official establishment in 2016, the university has leveraged Harbin Institute of Technology's long-standing tradition in engineering education and integrated with Shenzhen's urban development advantages, continuously advancing in new engineering disciplines, interdisciplinary integration, and urban governance. The institution has developed a distinctive research and teaching framework. In the field of urban planning and child-friendly city development, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) has actively participated in multiple national and local research projects, focusing on optimizing public green spaces for children, community regeneration, and enhancing urban spatial equity. The research aims to improve the quality of public spaces through data-driven approaches and human-centered urban planning practices.
Research background
In the context of rapid urban development and changing population structures, children and adolescents have increasingly become a focal group in urban planning and public service research. As the concept of 'child-friendly cities' gains wider adoption, Shenzhen—designated as one of China's national model child-friendly cities—is facing the need to systematically understand the travel patterns, green space usage experiences, and their connections to children's and adolescents' mental and physical well-being. Current research on children's interaction with green spaces primarily focuses on facility design and environmental planning, lacking large-scale, systematic empirical data. Therefore, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) commissioned CEIDEA Research to conduct this targeted investigation, aiming to establish a scientific and standardized evaluation framework that captures students' authentic experiences and perceptions of urban green environments. The study will provide empirical data and policy recommendations to support the optimization of campus surroundings, urban green space planning, and the promotion of children's mental and physical health.
Research scope
In January 2026, CEIDEA Research conducted a special investigation on behalf of Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), focusing on 'Primary and Secondary School Students' Cognitive and Usage Behavior of Urban Green Spaces in Shenzhen. The study targeted students from Grade 1 of primary school to Grade 3 of high school in Shenzhen, collecting data through a combination of online questionnaires and offline interviews. A total of 1,260 participants were surveyed, covering 12 grades with 105 samples per grade to ensure balanced representation across grade levels, and... The research focused on six key dimensions: students' individual and family background characteristics, commuting methods and outdoor activity patterns, perceived number and accessibility of green spaces near their residence and school, experiences with environmental and facility conditions in commonly used green spaces, perceptions of street greenery along travel routes, and subjective evaluations of green space exposure frequency and its relationship to mental and physical well-being. During data collection, offline interviews were conducted by trained interviewers at high-traffic areas such as communities, parks, and school surroundings, while online surveys were distributed via schools, social groups, and digital platforms to ensure broad coverage and data quality. Multiple quality control measures were implemented to ensure sample validity. This study emphasizes the integration of students' daily behavioral patterns with their subjective environmental perceptions, aiming to comprehensively capture the potential mechanisms by which urban green environments influence children's and adolescents' growth and development.
Expected outcomes
The study will comprehensively present the travel patterns, green space cognition, and subjective usage experiences of Shenzhen's primary and secondary school students. It will develop an analytical model for assessing green space equity and accessibility, and quantify the levels of green space exposure and associated health perceptions across different educational stages. Based on these findings, the research will preliminarily reveal potential mechanisms linking green environment factors to children's mental and physical well-being. The results will provide scientific and evidence-based recommendations for optimizing green space configuration around schools, enhancing the functionality and accessibility of urban green spaces, and advancing the implementation of child-friendly spatial policies. These findings will contribute to promoting equitable, green, and inclusive urban governance practices, both in Shenzhen and across China.
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