Designing the City for Play Safe, everyday places for children Isaac S. Williams, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland Catherine Stratton Treadway, M.Arch, 2009, University of Maryland 48th Annual International Making Cities Livable Conference 19 October 2010
Why is Play Important? - Builds Cognitive / Operational Skills - Builds Social Skills - Reinforces Community 2
Play Space in Washington, DC 19% of Land is parkland 3
Free Range Play Rural children had the freedom to travel greater distances by themselves away from their homes, but often needed adults to transport them places by bus or car. Metropolitan children had smaller ranges of freedom from their homes and often had adults accompany them places that rural children were allowed to go alone. (MacDougall) 4
3 Types of Play Space Destination Interstitial Near Home 5
Destination Recreation - Away from home so it requires adult to transport and/or supervise - Sometimes larger facilities like pools or playing fields which break up the scale of the urban fabric - City must maintain 6
Interstitial Play - Within city neighborhoods - Small facility at the scale of the neighborhood - Older children may be allowed to play unaccompanied for periods of time - City maintains 7
Near Home Play - Close to home so adults can supervise without setting aside their own activities. - Children can join and leave activities at will. - Requires no additional infrastructure to be provided or maintained by the city. - Maintenance done by home owners. 8
Near Home Play A porch provides: - a safe perch for small children and adults engaged in their own activities - a quiet place for quiet games - a stage for acting - a launching pad 9
Near Home Play A yard provides: - dirt, plants, and bugs for exploring which change with the seasons - A place to play somewhat active games like catch and chase An elevated yard provides: - Separation from sidewalk games or - A way to engage play on the porch or sidewalk 10
Near Home Play Steps provide: - Easy access to sidewalk games from the porch or yard, but also allow a child to retreat directly out of the sidewalk action when desired 11
Near Home Play Sidewalk and Tree Lawn provide: - A safe place for active games like chase - A hard surface for riding bikes and skateboarding Parked cars provide a buffer between playing children and moving traffic. 12
Near Home Play The Street provides: - A community gathering space - A place for older children and teens to ride bikes and play football or soccer 13
How can cities be more supportive of play? Leverage existing urban infrastructures Utilize the public space of the street as a landscape for play Locate places for play near places that adults go regularly 14
Level 1: Leverage existing urban infrastructures Small alterations to bus stops can make waiting for the bus a more pleasant experience for everyone 15
Level 2: Utilize the public space of the street as a landscape for play (interstitial model) 16
Level 2: Utilize the public space of the street as a landscape for play Recognize recreation as a legitimate use of sidewalk, but [the streetfront should not be designed so that [it] reads as a park or playground because this disrupts the behavior control mechanism that operates on the street front and not the park [and] removes residents authority to stop play when it becomes a nuisance (Brower) The approach should not be to create a recreational area but to create a streetfront that is pleasant and safe for recreational use. 17
Level 2: Utilize the public space of the street as a landscape for play Provide traffic calming (raised sidewalks or bump outs) at the ends of residential streets to slow the speed of traffic and discourage through traffic. Provide sidewalks wide enough for activity (at least 6 feet) Provide a tree lawn as a buffer between children and the street Consider bump outs along the street to provide breaks in parking and wider places for children to play 18
Level 2: Utilize the public space of the street as a landscape for play (interstitial model) 19
Level 2: Utilize the public space of the street as a landscape for play (interstitial model) 20
Locate places for play near places that adults go regularly Shopping districts provide enough traffic to make an investment in simple play equipment cost-effective. Family-friendly shopping provides for the needs of all members of the family. 21
Just like the best toy is often the packaging the toy came in, the best play spaces may be the bus stops, streets, and open spaces on the way to the playground. 22