U.S. playgrounds are becoming more unique, accessible, and "dangerous"
Playgrounds today are becoming more varied, more accessible, and more customized, according to playground experts. Some, surprisingly, may even be getting slightly more dangerous, at least within the limits of U.S. safety standards, giving American children more opportunity to take risks and push limits.As reported by Fast Company, the transformation of playgrounds across the U.S. has been driven by the desire for these spaces to reflect the unique qualities of their communities or this idea of “localized play”. The term was noted by Scott Roschi, the creative director of Landscape Structures, a designer and supplier of playground equipment. An example of this approach can be seen at a playground in Denver’s Paco Sanchez Park, which is named after the founder of the region’s first Spanish-language radio station. Its playground was designed around the theme of sound waves, featuring ramps and climbing structures that form ribbons of waves throughout. The centerpiece is a structure encased in a three-story tower resembling a 1950s radio microphone. New playgrounds are also getting taller, with more communities in the U.S. requesting climbable structures that give children an increased sense of risk. This approach is more aligned with the European model, where equipment is less cons...
Playgrounds today are becoming more varied, more accessible, and more customized, according to playground experts. Some, surprisingly, may even be getting slightly more dangerous, at least within the limits of U.S. safety standards, giving American children more opportunity to take risks and push limits.
As reported by Fast Company, the transformation of playgrounds across the U.S. has been driven by the desire for these spaces to reflect the unique qualities of their communities or this idea of “localized play”. The term was noted by Scott Roschi, the creative director of Landscape Structures, a designer and supplier of playground equipment.
An example of this approach can be seen at a playground in Denver’s Paco Sanchez Park, which is named after the founder of the region’s first Spanish-language radio station. Its playground was designed around the theme of sound waves, featuring ramps and climbing structures that form ribbons of waves throughout. The centerpiece is a structure encased in a three-story tower resembling a 1950s radio microphone.
New playgrounds are also getting taller, with more communities in the U.S. requesting climbable structures that give children an increased sense of risk. This approach is more aligned with the European model, where equipment is less cons...
