Twelfth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

This paper compares the playgrounds in Pevidém, a region in the municipality of Guimarães, Portugal, to those in Heidelberg and one in Karlsruhe, Germany. The comparison has a clear purpose: why is it that the standardization observed in Pevidém is not seen in the selected examples in Heidelberg and Karlsruhe, despite the fact that the playground equipment is regulated by the same European norms? Pevidém’s playgrounds are standardized, with the same equipment and materials repeated and a stereotypical design. Unlike in the examples of Heidelberg and Karlsruhe, there is opportunity for variation; each park has its own unique qualities; the equipment, materials, and ground are various and distinct for each of them, and the design is site specific. In Pevidém, we wonder: where is the place for children’s free play in these spaces? How are the children’s many senses stimulated in these types of parks? What is the role of parents, other from being the children’s safety guardians; why is it always forbidden for parents to play with their children? Why is there always a fence, a physical boundary, even when the children are not in risk? Case studies from Heidelberg and Karlsruhe are included to demonstrate how “playgrounds” can become true “grounds for play,” fostering children’s free appropriation, creativity, and imagination, as well as intergenerational play in some circumstances. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the transformation of the myopia with which children’s playgrounds in Portugal are designed and built.