IAPS 2004 Rethinking Qualities of Childrens Play Areas

IAPS 2004 Rethinking Qualities of Children’s Play Areas Toward a Developmental Approach for Evaluating Residential Outdoor Spaces Eman El-Nachar, Ph. D. Assistant Professor Department of Architecture Faculty of Fine Arts Cairo, Egypt

Research Scope: Designing residential streets is usually based on intuitive problem solving approach. Research and evaluation methods for testing qualities of residential streets with respect to children play are very rare. Free play in outdoor spaces, has a vital role in achieving child development. Research Problem Residential streets are popular places for children free play. Residential streets have lost their role, children play opportunities are limited to the use of play grounds.

Questions • What are the different developmental needs ? that characteristics of residential streets may serve? • How can the design of residential streets respond to children needs of exploration and socialization? • What are the suitable evaluation strategies and methods for residential streets with respect to child development?

Developing framework for evaluation strategy suitable to test qualities of residential streets, with respect to child development … Objectives Identifying aspects incorporated in the relation between characteristics of residential streets and child developmental needs …

Methodology A Theoretical Analytical Study to Investigate: Free play child development Child development & built environment How, where, when children play in residential areas Design for child Play in residential streets Conceptual model explains the relation between child development and aspects of residential streets Evaluative Framework for testing qualities of residential streets with respect to child development …

Free Play / Child Development Sensory Motor Skills Gross Motor Skills Social Skills Free Play Intellectual Skills Emotional Skills Free play is central to child development Children learn best through free play Free play fosters all aspects of child development

Aspects of Free Play / Design Objectives Associated Behavior Creative Self-Initiative Active Self-Motivated Spontaneous Non-Directed Imaginative Free of Adult Imposed Rules Exploration Free Play Discovery Cooperation Social-Interaction Initiation Involvement

Child Development & the Built Environment Social Aspect Child Development Child Environment Cultural Aspect Physical Aspect • Children read the environment as something to interact with. • Children play, develop, and use the environment in different ways depending on their cultural background and socio-economic status • Ecological conception of children-environment interaction – (Intersection theory of child development).

Design features can have a direct impact on children development but more often, they work in ecological concert with family systems to affect development …

Where & When. . . Children Play in Residential Outdoor Space? Children play: - Where the most activities are occurring - When they are together The busier the street, the more appealing

Where & When. . . Children Play in Residential Outdoor Space? Children play: Near the entrances of dwellings

Where & When. . . Children Play in Residential Outdoor Space? Children play: When there is a chance for something to happen

Where & When. . . Children Play in Residential Outdoor Space? ? No people to look at No traffic NO P L A Y • That is why many playgrounds are unused or under-used • Playgrounds provide only one small part of the total opportunity for free play in residential communities

Designing Livable Streets for Child Development Quality Features of Outdoor Spaces Accessibility Barrier-Free (Walls / Fences) Barrier-Free (Home/School Trip) Variety Form/Color/Texture Complexity Form/Color/Texture Spatial Relationships Clustering of Housing Units Design Guidelines Ø Free to explore places without threat of traffic Ø High level of independent mobility Ø Sociable in populated places Ø Children are able to play everywhere loosely and freely Ø Highly stimulating environment Ø Opportunities for casual social interaction Ø Allowing passive watch by adults Ø Opportunities to get around and to experience life and activities Ø Decreasing Segregation and isolation from adults life Ø Allow greatest range of possibilities for skill and knowledge acquisition within variety of modes Ø Designing for all ages –including the disabled

Conceptual Model Individual Differences - Attitudes Toward Street Life - Leisure Time Activities - Feeling of Security (traffic / strangers) - Regularity of Outdoor Activities Disabled Emotional Social Sensorimotor Physicalmotor Child Development Intellectual Exploration Discovery Social Interaction Cooperation Involvement Social Variables Physical Variables Gender Sex - Accessibility - Barriers (walls/fences) - Complexity & Variety (colors/materials/forms/texture) - Spatial Relations - Natural Elements - Furniture - Equipment - Families’ Demography - Background - Style of Life - Education - Socio. Economic Status - Dwelling Size - Clustering - Types/ of Outdoor Spaces - Circulation - Spatial Relations - Land-uses

Evaluating Qualities of Residential Outdoor Spaces for Children Development: A Multi-dimensional Approach 1. Questioning Social Aspects • Family, size, ages? • Previous residence, how long? • Where do you come from? • Leisure time? Where? • Are children allowed to spend time in outdoor spaces? For how long? • Area secured from traffic? Strangers? • Children play with neighbor’s children? • Insist on accompanying your children in outdoor spaces? • Use outdoor spaces in other activities? • When, where? • Identify your trip from home to school? Market? Etc, … Sociologist 2. Questioning Physical Aspects • Dwellings size, locations, heights • The relation between housing units & outdoor spaces • Types of housing • Forms of outdoor spaces & scale • Spatial relation • Circulation • Distances from dwelling to school, market places, transportation • Types of materials used • Furniture • Landscape • Natural elements • Land-uses Architects, Planners, Landscapers Questioning Children’s Activities 3. A. Preliminary investigation • Where children play • How they play • When they play • Who are playing • Play activities • Games • Equipment • Type • Regularity B. Listing/Classifying play activities based on developmental objectives C. Identifying play spaces & plan physical aspects Psychologists/ Educational Expertise 4. Investigating Qualities of Play Spaces • Observing children/ environment interaction • Designing integrative tools Users - no. - age - gender - adults Space Map Interaction Behavior -Exploration - Cooperation - Social Interaction - Involvement Designing Elements Degree of: - Complexity - Variety - Accessibility - Barrier Free