Presentation is from Park Pride's 15th Annual Parks and Greenspace Conference. The speakers is Cynthia Gentry. Cities around the world are incorporating play into parks and urban spaces in innovative ways. In this session, learn about the challenges of the growing density of urban environments and how playful design increases a city's livability for all.

1. Making Atlanta a Playful City
Cynthia Gentry
Play Atlanta
Park Pride
March 21, 2016

2. “Play is a fundamental part of life;
it is a biological, social, cognitive
necessity for individual children, but
also has benefits for society and the
human species.”
Declaration on the Importance of Play (2014)
International Play Association:
Promoting the Child’s Right to Play

3. If Atlanta is to be a great city in
which to live, designing
great places for children
to play freely must
become a top priority.

4. “Play is the answer to how anything new
comes about.” Jean Piaget
“Play is often talked about as if it were a
relief from serious learning. But, for
children, play IS serious learning.” Mr. Rogers
“Almost all creativity involves purposeful
play.” Abraham Maslow
Is play important?

5. Free play is child led.
It comes from within.

6. The Big Rule:
Allow for child-led play
(aka free play).

7. But, how do you
design for
free play?

8. 1.) Design for with the “client”.

9. These are often your clients.

10. Ask the children for ideas.

12. They know what they are talking about.

13. As all cities (including
Atlanta) get denser, more
children will not have
easy access to parks. We
must take the play to
wherever they are.

14. 2.) Make the whole city playable.

15. Paris Copenhagen

16. Hakone Open Air Museum, Japan
Chicago
London Paris

17. Let parks spill out into the city.

18. Let children spill out into the city.

20. Note to nervous parents: Getting wet is
rarely the end of the world. It’s kinda fun.

21. Adults and children often get
along quite well in the same
space.

22. 3.) Let artists release magic all
over the city.

23. Boston

24. Magic is remembered for a lifetime.

28. 4.) Blow up the idea of what a
playground looks like.

29. The Changing Face of Urban Play

30. Paris

31. Japan

32. London

36. New York: loose parts play

37. 5.) Blow up the idea of what a
schoolyard looks like….
And, while you’re at it, let children have
more (much more) recess.

42. A city alive with play is a great
place to live.

45. If it works for children….

46. …it may work for grown-ups, too.