Designing for Play
Why are so many children's playgrounds unimaginative and indistinguishable?
Why do so few reflect the spirit of their locality or children's
desire for excitement and mystery? What could be the role of artists
and designers in creating individual environments children will
be drawn to for their play?
In 2002, a PLAYLINK/Portsmouth City Council conference set out
to expore these issues and to initiate an exchange of working ideas
between designers and planners and those with responsibility for,
or interest in, play services and playgrounds.
Information about case studies from the conference and other resources
on designing for play are available below.
Designs on Play Conference, 2002
The Designs on Play conference featured the work of Danish landscape
architect Helle Nebelong. Since 1990, Helle
has run a private practice that specialises in the design of green
spaces for young disabled people. Information about her work
is available here:
Publications and Resources
- East of the Sun and West of the
Moon, a new accessible playground located in the south-eastern
part of Copenhagen featured in the Free Play Network Newsletter.
- 'The Experimental Playground',
Video Presentation by Hattie Coppard, Director of Snug & Outdoor,
to the 7th PLAYLINK/Portsmouth City Council conference on Learning
Environments, 2004
- Involving
Young People in the Design and Care of Urban Spaces, explores
creative and constructive ways to involve children and young people
in public space, published by CABE Space, 2004.
- Manifesto
for Better Public Spaces, encourages people of all ages –
including children, young people and retired people – to play
an active role in deciding what parks and public spaces should
be like and how they should be looked after, CABE Space, 2004.
- No
Particular Place to Go?, by Ken Worpole is a Groundwork Trust
publication which addresses the issues of children, young people
and public space and the question of how best to design public
spaces to include young people.
- Messages from the PLAYLINK/Portsmouth
City Council Designs on Play conference were circulated at
the government's Urban Summit in November 2002.
- Making Connections, by Sandra
Melville, reproduced from Lesiure Manager magazine, September
2002
- Come
out to play, Today is National Playday. Only one problem:
there are very few places where children can run about and have
fun. Ken Worpole on the lessons we can learn from the Dutch. From
The Guardian, 7 August 7, 2002.
- The
way forward, The story garden, by Sophie Petit-Zeman, The
Guardian, 7 August 2002.
Useful Links
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