What might a playful public realm look like?
Time for systematic change
Paul McTernan
PlayBoard Annual Conference November 2015
Playful Spaces
Driven by a desire to integrate play into
traditional street models and provide
opportunities for connection with others.
Peak Experience - San Francisco, USA
Inspired by
the existing
topography
Peak Experience - San Francisco, USA
Multiple teams and different age groups
Basket Tree, Nantes
Question the harshness
of the city
A Soft City - Bourges, France
Bächle – Freiburg, Germany
Bächle, Freiburg
They are meant to be
inhabited, not simply
viewed - to be shaped
and activated by use.
Encourages people to
populate a space that is
usually a barren paved
expanse
Mi Casa, Your Casa - Atlanta
CYCLE TRAILS
Home is where the
hammock is
REEANCTMENTS
To bring an outdoor
space
alive with art
HIGH ROPES
Mi Casa, Your Casa - Atlanta
Dialogue between the historical mining
landscape and the contemporary urban
culture that surrounds Skateboarding
Hyttgardsparken - Falun, Sweden
Park am Gleisdreieck – Berlin, Germany
Materials and vegetation,
which together unfold a
strong, poetical effect
Park am Gleisdreieck – Berlin, Germany
Create a sense of
interconnectedness
and identity.
Interactive gathering
place at waters edge
Wavedeck– Toronto, Canada
Sea Organ – Zadar, Croatia
Sea Organ – Zadar, Croatia
The Green, Yorkshire
Create shafts of light among the
curved white planes and enliven the
forms that children can slide down,
climb or run along
Playground for Machida Kobato Kindergarten - Tokyo
The wooden
constructions become an
invitation to dream
Treehuts– Bruges, Belgium
An exercise in musical cooperation
21 Swings – Montreal
Piano Stairs – San Francisco, USA
Keys to the Streets – Vancouver, Canada
Le miroir d’eau – Bordeaux France
Belfast – Custom House Square
Slide the City – Vancouver, Canada
Derry – Slide on Cancer
So how do we do it ?
• Create policy that aligns common
effort
• Devise play strategies that target
structured interventions
• Get the planning system to work
better for us
• Construct partnerships that
deliver
• Nurture champions
Good advice and design guidance
already exists
Constructing a play policy
Alignment
• Place-shaping
• Collaboration across agencies
• Co-production of spaces &
infrastructure
• Leadership and advocacy
Constructing a play policy
Play strategies
Cross-cutting – Health/ Education/Planning, community & voluntary sectors.
Strong leadership –named and properly resourced lead officer.
High level support – named champions’ at senior officer and member level.
Sound basis – based on comprehensive review and audit.
Participative – participation of children and young people, parents and
community members.
Inclusive – addresses the needs of all groups of children and young people.
Commitment – includes a timetabled action plan and budget.
Resourced – explicit commitment to resourcing and sustainability.
Learning – regular monitoring, review and reflective practice built in.
Play Strategies
Plan better
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Get involved in Community Planning
Take ownership of your development plan
Replace PPS8- 11 new development
plans= 11 new play strategies ?
Embed play within the planning system(Section 76 contributions and % for play)
Place shaping- urban extensions,
neighbourhood regeneration, schools and
green infrastructure design
Town centres- play as the catalyst for
placemaking
Plan better
The barriers
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Closed agenda’s – (The Children’s
Bill should help this)
The absence of localised, evidence
based strategies
PPS8 and a reluctance to do
something new
Failure to integrate community
planning and statutory planning
Community
Plans
Play Strategies
Development Plans
Systematic delivery of play
infrastructure
The Barriers
Why not co produce a pilot?
Construct a Pilot Play Strategy and
PPS8 Replacement policy for one local
authority
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A dedicated play partnership
An integrated routes to
school/neighbourhood/town centre
plan
A % for play contributions scheme
A template for others to follow
An idea
Our Champion
Mark H Durkan, Planning Minister & playful citizen
Our Champion
Paul McTernan
Playboard Annual Conference November 2015