Xinhe Community in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, is widely praised for having achieved great success in creating public spaces that are user-friendly for both the elderly and children.

The success in this endeavor meant it was recently selected by national authorities as a model for the first batch of child-friendly urban spaces, providing a valuable example for communities nationwide.

The Xinhe Community, formed by merging four regions, has a significant proportion of elderly folks and children, accounting for nearly half of the residents.

During the process of community improvements, idle spaces were effectively utilized to establish childcare centers, offering quality care services for infants and toddlers – while children's activity spaces were expanded to meet their daily play, learning and social needs.

Kids play happily together in a child-friendly space created by Xinhe Community. [Photo/Tide News]

The community creatively developed what is called a Common Prosperity Workshop, leveraging its public service spaces. In the workshop, retired people, including teachers, volunteered to provide homework assistance and interest-based courses for children, while women and elderly caregivers could participate in working – achieving the dual goals of childcare and income increases.

Moreover, a learning space within the workshop offers public traditional Chinese painting classes for children with special needs, helping them to experience the charms of art and to integrate into community life.

Moving forward, plans are for Quzhou to further optimize the child-friendly layouts in communities, introduce more professional educational resources, and deepen the integration of child-friendly concepts across various sectors.