This paper reports research that explores the relationship between approaches to the 'design' of outdoor play spaces and the play value of these spaces. The paper starts by explaining that there is an assumption that an outdoor space in the Kit, Fence, Carpet (KFC) style provides fewer opportunities for play than spaces designed in a more natural way. To test this hypothesis an evaluation tool is developed that draws upon a range of academic literature. The tool includes three dimensions of Play Value, Physical Characteristics of the site and the Environmental Characteristics of the site. This tool was tested on 10 sites in the East Midlands in England. The results indicate that there is a continuum between KFC and more natural spaces with a mid-category of 'composite' spaces. Play value increases along this continuum between the two styles while characteristics such as the amount and type of fixed play equipment and the use of loose and moving parts also vary between the types.
The environmental psychology literature is reviewed as it focuses on children's needs and experiences of towns and cities. Children are, we argue, the unacknowledged outsiders in the planning and management of urban areas; yet their enjoyment of and contribution to these areas is ignored at our peril. We discuss the importance of place attachment in the child's developing personal identity; and the rich affordances of towns and cities for the child's well-being and development, alongside an assessment of the evidence about the social and physical dangers that are more frequently stressed in popular discussions: these range from strangers and street crime, to traffic and pollution. Other related topics reviewed include: children's favourite places and their role in the child's self-regulation; the role of exploration of the local area as part of the child's widening social and cognitive world; gender differences in patterns of exploration, and whether these might be changing; and examples of children's involvement at more than a token level in the planning of their communities. The role of children as consumers in the local economy, and their use of public places, malls and plazas, has often been discussed as if they were inevitably socially problematic, and that their presence inevitably led to conflicts with adult users: yet we argue for a view of cityscapes which bring the different strands of society together. We conclude by discussing those Continental European city designs which foster the participation of children in the city's social life.
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