Children play in streets, green and civic spaces. Yet, there is limited research on the extent to which the design of play spaces is inclusive and accessible for all children and different age groups. This project addresses this gap by working closely with Leeds City Council (LCC) to develop policy guidelines and recommendations for play space design. The research supports the council’s Area of Research Interest around ‘Zero Carbon – Developing inclusive public spaces.’
The investigation will look beyond existing guidelines, to consider how spaces can enable access to benefits of play for different generations. This is an essential strategy for enabling inclusivity and accessibility and complements the council’s community development initiative 'Leeds Play Sufficiency' introduced in 2023.
This project aims to:
- Investigate the existing knowledge on play design to enhance inclusivity in play spaces,
- Obtain diverse insights from users regarding their experiences accessing and participating in play within play spaces,
- Co-produce a policy brief that includes recommendations for best practices in community provision through design.
Our interdisciplinary team, consisting of experts in architecture, urban design, and co-production, is committed to collaborating with LCC to develop policy guidelines and physical activity needs. We aim to extend social inclusion by focusing on utilising play spaces across generations. Our social impact work is driven by a desire to enhance community well-being and overall quality of life in Leeds, and to promote societal connections that support a range of equality, diversity, and inclusion characteristics.
This project is funded by the 2024–2025 Research England Policy Support Fund and responds to Leeds City Council’s 2024 Area of Research Interest ‘Place’, specifically the sub-theme ‘Play’.