An Introduction to Modern Playscapes
In honor of our family themed July/August issue, we've invited guest writer Paige Johnson, who spearheads the blog Playscapes, to share her perspective on some of the most innovative contemporary design targeted to kids. Week 1: An Introduction to Modern Playscapes.
From playgrounds that derive inspiration from nature to pop-up urban installations, spaces for play are transitioning away from traditional manufactured solutions—ie. the ubiquitous plastic and/or metal jungle gyms one spies at most playgrounds—and getting the attention they deserve as exciting design opportunities. I use the term playscapes to highlight sites that move beyond the playground fence to become total landscapes for play.
Image courtesy of Stoss Landscape Urbanism.
Click through the slideshow for a look at seven great playscapes.
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Great ideas....PLEASE show more of these, esp. the Play Scapes that DIDN'T take out one of very small areas of green, in the middle of an "Urban Concrete Canyon" and then DIDN'T bring in yards and yards of cement, leaving no shade, because YES, mature trees were cut down. YES, that's what happened on the North Side of Chicago and YES we did organize and try to stop it with an alternative plan, but we were up against an Alderwoman who was cozy with the mayor (remember Daley, the so-called "Green Mayor"?). She was brutal. Not only was the small piece of green land thus covered with cement, but they DID bring in the ho-hum usual, predictable metal and plastic inner city playground equipment. Why do people think that children are nothing by gerbils and just love to have all of their movement dictated by the equipment in a playground?! Well, said Alderwoman retired this year and stood proudly in front of a shiny plaque with her name on it on the playground, as the news photographers took pictures of her. We are left with this mess. I've decided that Alder-people (politicians)are like ancient Emperors or Empresses, who want these Ersatz Stone-Henge' s to stand forever, so people will come and worship the politicians forever......they could care less, about green Play-Scapes or the real needs of children which involve creativity, imagination, innovation and non-gerbil-like use of their bodies. Play-scapes, which also foster far more parent-child interaction, are so rare in the U.S. It is with deep sadness, that I report this. I am a child development specialist and I hope you keep focusing on these very important issues, by continuing to focus on the wonderful Play Scapes out there. We need to have more ammunition the next time an Alder-Person shows up with no imagination at all and dangles money in front of us. We need an arsenal of photos, research and strategies for taking back our public land, for the use of children and their families.
Great ideas but how do they all compare under the "Children Playspaces & Equipment Z614-07 CSA Standards"? Being a Canadian Certified Playground Inspector I noted several concerns that would not pass my scrutiny. Especially critical fall heights and protective surfacing concerns which we all know can contribute to 75% of all injuries in play grounds. I can see numerous liability issues with what was provided.
Here in Germany the playgrounds are really fun because designers are not as burdened by havign to conform to liability standards. Here it seems children don't injure themselves doing stupid things because they're searching for a thrill. "Liability" is what makes playgrounds in North America so boring. The playgrounds here do have some risk, but that's what makes them fun and interesting for children. There was a great Grist article about it recently...Of course, the best alternative would be if children could play on the streets so they're not ghetto-ized, but cars have made the streets in most cities too dangerous for children to play in...
Trying again... Wonderful! What a breath of fresh air. For so long playgrounds have been held captive by a plague of deadening sameness. You couldn't tell one playspace from another, and neither could the kids. Things are finally starting to change. I just returned from a play conference in Wales. The organizers wore tshirts emblazoned with a quote from the late Lady Allen of Hurtwood, one of the world's greatest play advocates: "Better a broken bone than a broken spirit." I love the quote although it is the kind of statement that sends safety inspectors (and parents) into a state of apoplexy. But, if one calms down and ponders the statement, the true value of play begins to become clear. Of course, no one wants a child to get hurt...no one! But, it is true that we have been teaching our children to live in fear. They are so coddled and wrapped in cotton that they grow up untested. They do not play free. By playing free they are faced with circumstances that allow them to test themselves. They are able to face fears and triumph over them. They learn to evaluate risk instead of having life handed to them on a silver platter. (And, note, that I am studying to become a safety inspector in the US.)...(continued)
(continued)...So, I champion the artists, industrial designers, architects, landscape architects and, yes, a few playground manufacturers, who are challenging mediocrity. I also champion the communities who say, enough of the stuff, let's create a beautiful playground with no equipment, just trees to climb, sand piles to fill with castles, and forts to be built with loose parts. Play is a child's "job." Play is what a child should be doing. Play is what unlocks the child's talents, gives space for creativity to blossom, and encourages curiosity to thrive. Down with mediocrity! Keep challenging the status quo! It is thrilling to see the wonderful blog Playscapes on the virtual pages of Dwell. Perhaps it is time to have an entire issue devoted to the topic. You would not believe the revolution in play that is starting to unfold all over the world. I could go on.....and on....and on....
These are quite creative playspaces. However, within the child development, landscape architecture, and nature center realm in many areas, the term 'playscape' is reserved for the design of playspaces that are focused on the landscape itself. I would consider these designs playgrounds or playspaces.
Yes, these are fun spaces and clearly engaging for both children and adults, but please don't discount "monkey bars" as being old fashioned. Only one of these play spaces--the one with the brightly colored balls that are suspended from a canopy--even begins to engage the upper body in the same manner as monkey bars. Running around is great, but upper body development is just as important.
Yes, I agree that liability is the great bug-a-boo of play space design. But over-protective parents who seem not to want to be inconvenienced by a child's accident need to loosen up and let them do "dangerous" things. Not one of my cohorts when I was a child had any accident on the monkey bars, climbing equipment, swings, etc. that resulted in anything worse than a broken arm, scraped knee, or chipped tooth. We all survived.
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