Reimaging Public Play Environments

This project examined how to reimagine public play spaces for discovery and connection through an investigation of children's outdoor play preferences and practices.

This research and design project was conducted in partnership with the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium and aimed to transform how we think about public play environments. 

The project focuses on gardens, parks, and other communal outdoor spaces, placing children’s play and intergenerational interaction at the heart of design. With cities growing more dense and nature becoming increasingly compartmentalised, this initiative seeks to explore how play can be integrated into public landscapes in meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable ways. 

The study aims to investigate:

• What are the barriers and enablers to play in public play spaces?
• What is the knowledge, attitudes and practices of community to different types of play?
•  What are the preferences and practices of users and non-users of the public parks, playgrounds and community play areas.
• How can public spaces be designed to encourage discovery, connection, and inclusive play in nature? 
• What design elements foster intergenerational engagement and a deeper connection with nature? 
• How can community voices shape play environments that reflect local culture and identity? 

Through a series of collaborative workshops, the project examined how children, caregivers, and other users interacted with existing spaces and what features promote or limit playful behaviour. Emphasis was also be placed on understanding barriers to access and participation, particularly for children with disabilities and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. 

The project aims to generate actionable design principles that demonstrate how play can be central to reimagining public spaces. Key stakeholders include horticulturists,  landscape architects, educators, and community groups. By collaborating with these groups, the project hopes to inform policy, guide the development of more playful and inclusive public spaces, and ultimately shift the cultural perception of play from a luxury to a fundamental right and necessity for all.