Reclaiming residential streets as shared social spaces to promote outdoor play

Abstract EN

The streets play an essential role in social interaction since ancient times, but since the era of cars, this role has gradually diminished and the main function of the streets has become to provide channels for transportation instead of public spaces for people, and this contradicts the objectives of urban design as the streets as successful public places represent the backbone of all sustainable urban environments, this paper explains how "Sheared Street" promotes strategies for modifying design and behavior to revitalize street life for all users, including children, as it stimulates their creativity, imagination, knowledge and even their behavior through the material and non-material elements that make up the streets.

This paper discusses the factors that make the streets of Cairo more attractive, especially to children, by examining street elements that would allow for social communication and the possibility of children playing outdoors as part of their needs, thus contributing to the general well-being of users.