Providing places for children and young people?
By Jeanette Fich Jespersen, KOMPAN Play Institute, International Manager
City planning for children and young people
The number of young people and children living in cities has now exceeded the number of children growing up elsewhere. In other words, city planning guidelines that respect the need for active play spaces are in demand. Guidelines are not enough to make play areas, though, funding is needed. So is an updated and documented view on what children and young people need and want from their play spaces.
Guidelines for space making
England has got its Fields in Trust and the Design and Planning for Outdoor Play, previously known as “The Six Acre Standard” 1). Germany has got its ARGE Bau, Building laws, which outline fundamentals of play area requirements, dating back to 1987. Norway has got municipal briefs on proximity and quality of outdoor play facilities; especially Stavanger stands out as a city providing spaces and budgets for children and young people’s play.
Teddington, Surrey, England – proximity as an example
Proximity matters
What these recommendations have in common is that due consideration should be taken to the proximity and character of outdoor places for children’s and young people’s leisure and free play. Size, layout and equipment of play areas should be closely connected to number of citizens and housing facilities in the neighborhood. In general, proximity is a main principle, also in children and young people’s opinion. This has been documented in several surveys 2), lately the survey made by Capacent Epinion for the KOMPAN Play Institute 3).
The case of young people’s areas
In the case of young people, the German city of Nuremberg as well as Norwegian Stavanger and the UK Fields of Trust require that every local area provide a hard surface leisure area for ball games. These should also be equipped with other relevant activities. It is generally recommended that the play areas be integrated in the park, walkway and biking path system of the city.
Nuremberg space making
Opening up school yards after hours
The place making for play can be hard in densely build older city parts. But Nuremberg has found a way around that: the school yards of the inner city are open after hours and in weekends. The Parks and Recreation Department takes care of the maintenance.
Some schools are open in weekends and after hours
Central funding the future?
Realizing space making and great places for young people outdoors comes down to funding. The British government has taken a decisive step to ensure funding in the new English Play Strategy, designating 235 million GBP for outdoor play. The aim is to create 3500 new playgrounds in the UK by 2011. Elsewhere funding so far has originated from municipal level solely. Maybe it is time to initiate play strategies with action plans in the remains of Europe as well?
Stavanger Norway: ICON digital play in Stavanger, Norway
Sources:
- http://www.fieldsintrust.org
- among others Cole-Hamilton I, Harrop A, Street C. (2002). Making the Case for Play. Gathering the evidence. London. National Children’s Bureau
- Survey of teenagers’ physical activity behaviour, Epinion Capacent on behalf of KOMPAN Play Institute, 2007
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