Urban Playground

On Monday we were lucky enough to show Tim Gill around Market Place Playground. Tim is former director of Play England, Design Council Built Environment expert and international advocate for child centred spaces. We are loving his new book Urban Playground.

The meeting reminded us how much potential Market Place has and opened our eyes to more possibilities. Tim champions natural elements, inclusive design and multi-use spaces and features. We learned about ‘affordances’ – different uses and opportunities for objects. For example a row of wooden logs could be climbing blocks for toddlers; a balance trail or weave poles for kids; social seating for teens or a step platform for exercising adults. It’s not just about fixed kit.

We left our meeting with Tim full of ideas and hope. We want this to be the beginning of an exciting journey for Market Place and are determined to get investment and support, as challenging as that may be!

We recommend reading Urban Playground – especially if you work in any area related to children, architecture or design. It’s also an easy, inspirational and enjoyable read (with lots of pictures!) for those who just want to make their local area a little greener & more child friendly.