SHORT FACTS
Name: Avin Khalilollahi
Current position: Researcher, PhD in Urban Design
Workplace: Eindhoven University of Technology
Favorite Playground Activity: “As a child, I loved to play on the seesaw — it was not only fun but also a great way to connect with others and experience the simple joy of shared play.”
Introduction
“My interest in urban design was sparked by a curiosity about how spaces influence human behavior and well-being — how they can impact community interactions, health, and social equity.”
Avin Khalilollahi has recently completed her PhD in Urban Design and now continues her work as a researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology. She began her academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Urbanism, followed by a Master’s in Urban Design, both of which laid the groundwork for her commitment to designing sustainable, functional, and inspiring spaces.
This passion eventually led Avin to focus her PhD work on the intersection of environment, behavior, and urban space. Reflecting on her favorite playground activity as a child, she now views the seesaw as a perfect metaphor for the balance she seeks in her research—particularly when it comes to harmonizing digital and physical play experiences in urban spaces.
PhD Project
In her PhD project, Avin focused on understanding how digital interventions could stimulate children’s outdoor play and encourage healthy play behaviors in urban environments. Her interest in this area was sparked by observing the growing disconnect between children and outdoor play spaces.
“As technology became more integrated into daily life, I began to wonder how it might be used to attract children back outside, rather than keeping them indoors.”
Drawing on behavior change models, Avin investigated how digital play systems could be used to create engaging, accessible outdoor play spaces. Through qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews with designers, co-design workshops with children, go-along group interviews, and focus groups with children, her findings revealed that digital play can foster outdoor activities when designed to align with children’s behavior.
However, the findings also highlighted the importance of creating balanced interactions, where digital elements serve as a bridge to the physical world rather than a distraction, fostering both social interaction and physical activity.
Want to know more about Avin’s project? Check out our brief summarizing the key findings:
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Avin is excited to continue her research in sustainable urban play spaces and community-centered design.
“My goal is to deepen my research into how urban spaces can be designed to support well-being across all age groups, not only children, and explore ways to integrate natural and digital elements thoughtfully in public spaces.”
Avin is also eager to investigate broader sustainability topics in urban settings, with a particular focus on how participatory design can shape resilient, green neighborhoods that encourage sustainable living habits.
Explore more of Avin’s publications in our article database:
- Interactive playgrounds and children’s outdoor play behavior: children’s perspectives
- Design principles of interactive play systems for children’s outdoor play: a designers’ perspective
- Application of the COM-B model to the correlates of children’s outdoor playing and the potential role of digital interventions: a systematic literature review
