Parks, Plazas, Public Spaces: Designing for Communities at Play

… because playgrounds aren’t just for kids

Public spaces are more than just physical sites for individuals to obtain fresh air and sunlight. Spaces that invite “play” encourage people from all walks of life to gather, interact, and create shared understanding. Such behavior fosters social trust and contributes to stronger, more resilient communities.

In this workshop, we examine how different social groups define “play” and engage their surroundings. Using the context of cities and urban life, the workshop’s activities include an introduction to human-centered design, the typologies of public space, theories of urban adaptation, and a team project involving hands-on fieldwork and empathy-building exercises.

Teams will collect instances of spatial appropriation for play; identify factors (social, demographic, environmental, architectural, and aesthetic) that facilitate these activities; and propose interventions that enhance existing spaces, or offer new ways for citizens to play and recreate.

Note: Interested students may also consider taking the 10-week International Urbanization Seminar (China): Cross-cultural Collaboration for Sustainable Urban Development. http://www.internationalurbanization.org/