Letthe children play!

Jamie Nicholls, Landscape Architect AAPQ, CSLA, ASLAPhD candidate, McGill school of urban planning

There is a divide between the way children perceive landscape and its elements with how adults perceive the landscape.

adult view

child view

The way that children use the landscape, when given free choice, often runs counter to our design intentions.

Vs.

Post occupancy evaluations of spaces are a valuable tool to see where intention meets use and where it doesn’t.

Children are not a unitary group. Like adults, children are a heterogeneous group.

The concept of the play-ground is essentially a 19th century idea.

Proximity and Equity in play-ground equipment provision do not determine use or qual-ity.

Quality

source:http://www.littledream-ers.com/sand.htm

Vacant 87% of the time .Used as intended 3%.

source: http://www.leaparkandplay.com/products/PlayBuild-ers-913.html

Beyond Safety vs. Risk.Toward holistic and quality frameworks.

7Cs Design Criteria

ContextCharacterClarityChangeChallengeChanceConnectivity

Thank you.