IN-PERSON London. Section A
Abstract
Play is recognized as an important part of childhood and is a key factor in physical development and well-being, as well as mental health and resilience. However, good conditions for play are under pressure, due to a variety of reasons, such as long school days that limits time for free play and concerns about safety which limits the amount of spaces children and young people are allowed be on their own. As a result, the playgrounds at day care facilities and at school have become the main spaces for (outdoor) play in everyday life for a lot of children. This paper investigate the playgrounds in a mid-sized Danish province town. The research consists of an analysis of the playgrounds based on Gehls 12 quality criteria (Gehl 2010), combined with a mapping of possible play types, based on Hughes (2002) and Callois´ (2001) typologies. The paper describes the current state of “places for play” in this Danish context, where most playgrounds consist of similar equipment (a sand box, swings, slides, climbing towers and MUGAs), and points to opportunities and obstacles for improvement of these places in terms of play types, accessibility and aesthetics.
Line Marie Bruun Jespersens research interest falls within public art, art and publics and art in any context outside of the art institutions. That include art and play in public spaces and the interplay between urban architecture and artistic interventions therein. Line Marie Bruun Jespersen is also engaged in questions regarding art education, both in research and from a managerial view point, as leader of the BA programme in Art and Technology at AAU.
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Thursday 27th June, 2024