MoVer: SCHOOL ENVIROMENTS
We transformed the journey to school into a safer, more welcoming experience for children and adolescents. This project was implemented in Rumiñahui in partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and with the support of the European Union as part of the MoVer Cities Program.
The process began by listening to the community. We engaged students, teachers, parents, neighbors, and municipal staff to better understand how people experienced the public space around Madre de la Divina Gracia School, which serves nearly 617 students. Together, we identified key challenges: unsafe pedestrian crossings, heavy traffic during peak hours, and a lack of seating and shelter from the sun and rain. We also found that women felt significantly less safe walking through the area than men.
Using these insights, we co-designed a set of improvements and refined them through workshops and meetings with the Municipality, GIZ, school staff, families, and local residents. The project focused on practical, low-cost interventions with high impact, including wider sidewalks, safer pedestrian crossings, planters with trees, seating, and shaded public spaces.
The transformation came to life through a community workday (minga), where around 60 participants—including local authorities, partners, neighbors, and our team—worked side by side. Together, we expanded sidewalks, painted new crosswalks, planted greenery, installed seating and shade structures, and created a community mural.
The results have been remarkable. Pedestrian activity increased by 170%, young children and cyclists began using the space with greater confidence, and perceptions of safety improved significantly, particularly among women. Today, this pilot serves as a replicable model for creating safer school environments across Rumiñahui and throughout Ecuador.