The Representation of Children’s Participation in Guidelines for Planning and Designing Public Playspaces: A Scoping Review with “Best Fit” Framework Synthesis
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Search Strategies
2.2. Eligibility
2.3. Selection Process
2.4. Critical Appraisal of Included Sources
2.5. Data Extraction and Synthesis
3. Results
3.1. Characteristics of the Included Guidelines on Designing Public Playspaces
3.2. Modes for Participation
3.3. “Best Fit” Framework Synthesis: Themes on Children’s Participation and Community Involvement
3.3.1. Theme 1: Giving Space and Time for Consulting with the Local Community
3.3.2. Theme 2: Identifying the Needs of the Community, beyond Play, through an Active, Meaningful and Empowered Approach
3.3.3. Theme 3: Establishing a Shared Vision Responsive to Community’s Needs
3.3.4. Theme 4: Giving Children Safe, Inclusive Opportunities to Form and Express Their Views about Playspaces
3.3.5. Theme 5: Facilitating Children to Express Their Views
3.3.6. Theme 6: Informing Children Who Will Be Listening to Their Views on Playspaces
3.3.7. Theme 7: Informing Children of Actions Taken as a Result of Their Shared Views
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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No. | Affiliated Institution or Organization | Type of Organization | Year of Publication | Country | Title and Subtitle | Type of Document According to Authors | Objective of the Guideline According to Authors | Intended Audience According to Authors | Modus of Participation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Australian Heart Foundation | Non-governmental organization (NGO) | 2013 | Australia | Space for active play. Developing child-inspired play space for older children | Guideline | To assist local governments in undertaking “healthy urban planning” | Local governments | Consultation |
2 | CABE | Cooperation of diverse stakeholders | 2008 | United Kingdom | Designing and planning for play | Briefing | To highlight best practice in design and strategies and encourage the greater use of creative and natural playspaces | Local planners, developers and architects | Consultation |
3 | Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation | NGO | n.d. | USA | Toolkit for building an inclusive community playground | Toolkit | To provide community advocates with resources and tips to broaden their understanding of the requirements of inclusive playgrounds and provide suggestions to facilitate fundraising efforts | Community advocates | Collaboration |
4 | City of Ballarat | Government agency | 2014 | Australia | City of Ballarat play space planning framework | Planning framework | To provide a planning framework to improve and develop playspaces | Citizens, professionals and others involved in the processes | Collaboration |
5 | Creo | Playground building industry | n.d. | New Zealand | We create smart public play spaces | Not described | Not described | Clients | Too little information |
6 | Denver Parks and Recreation | Government agency | 2017 | USA–Canada | Nature play design guidelines | Guideline | To provide a framework for parks and recreation, urban drainage, forestry and public works. To establish unstructured sensory play, align the nature play design process and develop a maintenance and facilities process | Public servants, funders, health and wellness advocates, communities and children | Collaboration |
7 | DESSA | Government agency | 2007 | Ireland | Play for all. Providing play facilities for disabled children | Publication | To support community development projects, family resource centers and other community development organizations in ensuring their play facilities are accessible and welcoming to all children | Community development organizations, planners, architects, local authority staff and interested individuals | Consultation |
8 | Free Play Network | NGO network | 2008 | United Kingdom | Design for play: A guide to creating successful play spaces | Presentation | To support the creation of successful playspaces | Not described | Consultation |
9 | Geelong Australia | Government agency | 2012 | Australia | Geelong play strategy: Part 2. Planning and design guidelines, management, marketing and maintenance of play space | Report | To provide a good overview of playground development considerations | The community of the Greater City of Geelong | Collaboration |
10 | Government South Australia | Government agency | n.d. | Australia | Inclusive play guidelines for accessible play spaces (easy read version) | Guideline | To provide an easy read guideline | Anyone planning or building new playgrounds or playspaces | Consultation |
11 | Greater London Authority | Government agency | 2012 | UK | Shaping neighborhoods: play and informal recreation. Supplementary planning guidance | Planning guidance | To support how planning should be carried out, with practical advice, in particular by negotiating for enough playspace to be set aside in new developments | Not described | Consultation |
12 | Hags | Playground building industry | 2019 | Worldwide | Inclusive play design guide | Guide | To contribute to more inclusive spaces for everyone | Individuals and groups aiming to create playspaces in their communities | Collaboration |
13 | HNH (Healthy New Hampshire) Foundation and NRPC (Nashua Regional Planning Commission) | NGO | 2017 | USA | Planning for play. A parks and playground guidebook for New Hampshire | Guidebook | To understand the process of park and playground development, from planning to implementation | Local authorities in New Hampshire, USA | Consultation |
14 | Illinois Department of Natural Resources | Government agency | 2004 | USA | A guide to playground planning | Guide | To provide information and assistance in the planning, design, installation and maintenance of public playgrounds | Local governmental agencies with minimal or no permanent staff, as well as community groups with limited knowledge or experience in developing public playgrounds | Consultation |
15 | Inclusive SA (South Australia) | Government agency | n.d. | Australia | Guidelines for accessible play spaces | Guideline | To challenge standard practice and inspire innovative design solutions that ensure playspaces can be enjoyed by every South Australian | Local governments, schools, early childhood learning centers, design professionals and others | Consultation |
16 | Inspiring Scotland, Play Scotland and the Nancy Ovens Trust | NGO network | 2018 | Scotland, UK | Free to play guide to accessible and inclusive play spaces | Guide | To assist any group that come together to develop or improve public playspaces | Friends of parks, community councils, community planning partnerships and groups of local parents, carers, professionals and youngsters | Consultation |
17 | Landcom | Government agency | 2008 | Australia | Open space design guideline | Guidelines | To help to deliver the best outcomes for open spaces | The two principal partners and the end owner (usually this means local councils and Landcom development staff) | Collaboration |
18 | Landscape Structures Inc. | Playground building industry | 2018 | USA | Inclusive play space design planning guide | Guide | To help to create inclusive playgrounds that are unique to their communities | Not described | Collaboration |
19 | National Playing Fields Association | NGO | 2004 | UK | Can play, will play. Disabled children and access to outdoor playgrounds | Report | To advise local authorities and other playground managers and assist them in meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act | Local authorities and other playground managers | Collaboration |
20 | NCB (National Children’s Bureau) | NGO | 2009 | UK | How to involve children and young people in designing and developing play spaces | guide | To be used alongside the Design for Play: A guide to creating | All those involved in designing and developing playspaces for children and young people | Collaboration |
21 | NSW (New South Wales) Government | Government agency | 2019 | Australia | Everyone can play guideline. A guideline to create inclusive play spaces | Guideline | To provide a key resource for the planning, design and evaluation of new and existing playspaces in NSW (New South Wales, Australia) | Councils, community leaders, landscape architects and local residents | Consultation |
22 | Office of Deputy Prime Minister | Government agency | 2003 | UK | Developing Accessible Play Space. A Good Practice Guide | Guide | To advise on developing accessible playspaces that disabled children can use | All stakeholders | Collaboration |
23 | Play England, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department for Culture, Media and Sport | NGO | 2008 | England, UK | Design for Play. A guide to creating successful place spaces | Guide (non-statutory guidance) | To support good practice in the development and improvement of public playspaces | Commissioners, designers, playbuilders, and local authorities | Consultation |
24 | Play Wales | NGO | 2012 | Wales, UK | Play spaces—planning and design | Not described | Not described | Not described | Consultation |
25 | Play Wales | NGO | 2016 | Wales, UK | Community toolkit. Developing and managing play spaces | Toolkit | To provide a single source of support and signposting for community groups to help them to navigate some of the challenges of managing or developing playspaces | Anyone taking responsibility for managing or developing playspaces in communities | Collaboration |
26 | Play Wales | NGO | 2021 | Wales, UK | Developing and managing play spaces. Community toolkit | Toolkit (providing guidance and tools) | To provide a single source of support and signposting to navigate some of the challenges of managing or developing playspaces | Anyone taking responsibility for managing or developing playspaces in communities, e.g., community councils, local play associations or resident groups | Collaboration |
27 | Playcore | Playground building industry | 2012 | USA | Blueprint for Play Design It. | Toolkit | To inspire communities to maximize the play design process for community-based initiatives | Not described | Determine the level of involvement |
28 | Playground Ideas | NGO | n.d. | Australia–Thailand | 5 steps for a better place to play | Manual | To empower people to go out and create amazing playspaces with their communities | Not described | Collaboration |
29 | Playright | NGO | 2016 | Hong Kong | Inclusive Play Space Guide | Guide | To advise and inspire the design of accessible and inclusive playspaces in Hong Kong | Designers, play providers and operators of unsupervised playspaces in Hong Kong | Collaboration |
30 | Playworld | Playground building industry | 2015 | USA | Inclusive Play Design Guide | Guide | To guide the creation of great outdoor play environments for everyone | People who care about inclusion and aim to create playspaces in their communities | Collaboration |
31 | Playworld Systems | Playground building industry | 2015 | USA | Playground 101 Guide. How to build a playground in 10 easy steps | Guide | To help answer questions, as well as provide educational resources | Not described | Collaboration |
32 | Playworld Systems | Playground building industry | 2019 | USA | Inclusive Play Design Guide | Guide | To offer inspiration and guidance to support the design of inclusive and universally designed outdoor playgrounds | Landscape architects, park and recreation staff, municipal employees, parent/teacher groups, community groups, parents and educators | Collaboration |
33 | Real Play Coalition | Cooperation of diverse stakeholders | 2020 | Worldwide | Reclaiming Play in Cities. The Real Play Coalition Approach | Publication | To share the initial steps toward developing an urban play framework (a holistic tool for facilitating play) | City stakeholders, including decision-makers, urban practitioners and investors | Too little information |
34 | Rick Hansen Foundation | NGO | n.d. | Canada | Let’s play toolkit. Creating inclusive play spaces for children of all abilities | Toolkit | To provide information and best practices for designing accessible playspaces for all children | Communities | Consultation |
35 | Rick Hansen Foundation | NGO | 2020 | Canada | A guide to creating accessible play spaces | Guide/toolkit | To support the design of accessible and inclusive playspaces | Communities | Consultation |
36 | State of Victoria, Dept for Victorian Communities | Government agency | 2007 | Australia | The good play space guide: “I can play too” | Guide | To examine the reasons why playspaces can limit access to some children and identify how improvements can be made to increase participation by all children in play | The providers of public playspaces | Collaboration |
37 | Touched by Olivia | NGO | n.d. | Australia | The principles for inclusive play | Principles | Not described | Not described | Collaboration |
38 | Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District | Government agency | 2012 | USA | Nature play area guidelines | Guidelines/document | To support the design and implementation of nature play areas | Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District staff and contractors | Too little information |
39 | Unknown | Government agency | 2014 | Canada | Integrated accessibility standards regulation guidelines. Part 4.1: Design of public spaces standard | Guideline/standard | To inform about the regulations for outdoor spaces | Organizations interested in constructing or redeveloping outdoor spaces | Consultation |
40 | Waverley Council | Government agency | 2021 | Australia | Inclusive play space study report Abridged version | Report/study | To provide practical guidance on inclusive playspace design and help to translate best practice policy into actionable principles | Inclusive play specialists, landscape architects and other interested parties | Collaboration |
41 | Wexford County Council Community Development Department | Government agency | 2018 | Ireland | Developing a play area in your community. A step-by-step guide | Guide/booklet | To help to develop play areas for children in communities | Communities | Consultation |
42 | Wokingham Borough Council | Government agency | 2018 | UK | Play space design guide | Guide | To provide clients, developers and designers with guidance and specific requirements for the design of playspaces within the borough | Planning officers | Too little information |
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Jansens, R.; Prellwitz, M.; Olofsson, A.; Lynch, H. The Representation of Children’s Participation in Guidelines for Planning and Designing Public Playspaces: A Scoping Review with “Best Fit” Framework Synthesis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 5823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105823
Jansens R, Prellwitz M, Olofsson A, Lynch H. The Representation of Children’s Participation in Guidelines for Planning and Designing Public Playspaces: A Scoping Review with “Best Fit” Framework Synthesis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(10):5823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105823
Chicago/Turabian StyleJansens, Rianne, Maria Prellwitz, Alexandra Olofsson, and Helen Lynch. 2023. "The Representation of Children’s Participation in Guidelines for Planning and Designing Public Playspaces: A Scoping Review with “Best Fit” Framework Synthesis" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 10: 5823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105823