5 Observations on the State of Play in Public Spaces
How play is shaping public space, where we’re falling short, and what’s next
Public play is having a moment. Once an afterthought in urban design, play is now recognized as a powerful tool for building community, fostering health, and activating public spaces.
Hooray! Play is officially a placemaking priority. Cities, developers, and designers are increasingly incorporating play into their projects—but enthusiasm alone doesn’t guarantee success. While progress is being made, there’s still a gap between the recognition of play’s value and its execution in the real world.
Here are five key observations on where public play stands today and where it needs to go next.
1️⃣ Play Has Become a Placemaking Darling
More than ever, people love talking about play. It’s a buzzword in placemaking, architecture, and urban planning. Cities, developers, and cultural institutions are buying into the promise of play—not just for kids, but as a way to create social connection, improve public health, and make spaces more engaging.
🚀 Why the Shift?
✔ The Loneliness Epidemic – Cities need new ways to foster human connection, and play is one of the most effective.
✔ Health & Well-Being – Research shows that playful movement improves mental and physical health.
✔ Vibrant Public Spaces – Play invites engagement—turning passive plazas into interactive social spaces.
✔ Economic Value – Playable spaces attract foot traffic, boost local businesses, and increase property value.
🏙 Who’s Leading the Shift?
🔹 Cities looking to stand out and provide a better quality of life for their residents.
🏗 Developers who want to enhance real estate value by creating high-energy, activated destinations.
🎨 Artists & Designers interested in relational aesthetics and social interaction.
🤝 Community Groups & Nonprofits looking to nurture stronger social bonds in neighborhoods.
🚨 The Challenge?
While play is gaining traction, many projects still rely on outdated models—more playgrounds, more sports courts, and “open-ended play areas” that sadly end up with very few people playing.
✅ What’s Next: If we’re serious about designing play as a tool for connection, we need more than just swings and murals. We need intentional, socially engaging experiences that can produce realistic pathways for people of all ages to actually play.
2️⃣ The Next Wave of Playing in Public Space
Public play is at a turning point. We know it’s important. We know it builds better places, neighborhoods, and cities. But we need to get serious about designing it better.
🚀 The next wave of public play will be:
✔ Multigenerational. Play will move beyond kids and athletes and invite all ages to engage together.
✔ Integrated. Play won’t be confined to playgrounds—it will be woven into plazas, streetscapes, and everyday places.
✔ Social-first. Play spaces will be designed to break down barriers, spark interactions, and build relationships.
How This Compares to Traditional Play Spaces
🔄 What play used to be: Dedicated areas with clear boundaries—playgrounds, sports fields, skate parks.
🌍 What play will be: A network of interactive spaces integrated into the city—play in transit hubs, sidewalks, plazas, and unexpected places.
✅ What’s Next: If we want play to become a true part of public life, we need to design it as something that fits seamlessly into everyday spaces—not just something that happens exclusively in fenced-in, designated zones.
3️⃣ We're Missing The Mark on Inviting All Ages to Play
🤔 The problem: Enthusiasm is high, but execution is underwhelming—most people have no idea what play for all ages actually looks like.
Instead of reimagining play, we’re mostly seeing:
1️⃣ Recycling the same old ideas that separate play by age.
2️⃣ Assuming a small "playful nudge" will magically get people to engage.
3️⃣ Selling ourselves short by underestimating what’s actually possible.
Same Old, Same Old
🛝 More and cooler playgrounds—but still designed primarily for children.
🏀 Large murals on basketball courts—but still designed for athletes.
Missing the Mark on What Actually Gets People to Play
🔲 Open plazas where “all types of play can happen”—but they don’t, because only kids have the imagination (and confidence) to misuse their environment.
🎨 Playful art and seating—beautiful and engaging, but rarely enough to inspire actual play from anyone over the age of 10.
✅ What needs to happen: Let’s meet people where they are. Give them a compelling, structured way to start playing—and from there, the barriers to imagination, spontaneity, and connection will start to fall away.
4️⃣ Pickleball—What We Can Learn from the Hottest Game in America
Pickleball is everywhere. It’s the fastest-growing sport in America, and its rise offers valuable lessons on how to design multigenerational play that sticks.
🏓 Why Did Pickleball Take Off?
✔ It caters to all ages. Whether you’re 10 or 70, you can play and have fun.
✔ It’s the right social scale. You can talk and connect while playing.
✔ It’s easy to start but has depth. You can learn the game in minutes, but there’s room for skill development.
✔ It’s familiar yet playful. It feels like tennis, but the smaller court and unique name make it less intimidating and more inviting.
🎯 Key Lessons for Public Play
✅ Approachability matters. Public games should be easy to understand and quick to start.
✅ Social interaction is key. The best games create shared experiences, not just competition.
✅ Structure invites participation. Pickleball works because it has rules—but they’re not so rigid that it’s intimidating.
🔥 The takeaway? Multigenerational, social, and flexible games are a proven yet rarely taken path for designing the type of play that all placemakers dream of.
5️⃣ Bold Ideas Leading the Future of Public Play
The best public play projects don’t just entertain—they reshape how we experience cities, create stronger social bonds, and redefine what’s possible in urban design.
Here are three standout projects that are pushing the boundaries of multigenerational, integrated, and social-first play:
⛰ CopenHill (Copenhagen, Denmark) – A ski slope, hiking trail, and climbing wall built on top of a power plant. This radical project proves that play can be embedded into infrastructure, turning necessary urban functions into recreational opportunities. CopenHill is a powerful example of how play can be ambitious, unexpected, and deeply reflective of a place’s identity and values.
🏙 Barcelona Superblocks (Barcelona, Spain) – What happens when you reclaim streets for people instead of cars? You get entire neighborhoods designed for social life, movement, and play. The Superblocks project has transformed car-heavy intersections into pedestrian-friendly plazas, where kids ride bikes, seniors chat on benches, and communities gather around interactive public installations. By prioritizing human interaction, Superblocks prove that play-friendly urban design doesn’t have to be a separate category—it can be the default.
🏌️♂️ IndiGolf (Houston, Texas, U.S.A.) – A neighborhood game designed to bring neighbors together through play. IndiGolf is a playful twist on golf, reimagined as a social, site-specific experience that blends strategy, creativity, and conversation into a game anyone can play—regardless of age or ability. But it’s more than a game—IndiGolf functions as a network of playful public spaces, each offering a unique way to engage. Check out the Reading Hive at Hole 2, or the Zen Puzzle Garden at Hole 7! More than just entertainment, this one-of-a-kind game builds a sense of belonging in the neighborhood and, equally important, joy.
✅ What These Projects Tell Us About the Future of Play
🔹 Play can be seamlessly integrated into daily life. It doesn’t need to be restricted to playgrounds or recreational zones.
🔹 Public play can be ambitious. We should be designing bigger, bolder, and more imaginative play experiences.
🔹 Play spaces should encourage interaction, not just individual activity. The best public play experiences are social, multigenerational, and deeply embedded in place.
📢 What’s Next?
We’ve identified key trends in public play and showcased the boldest ideas leading the way. But how do you bring these ideas to life in your own spaces?
📩 Next issue: "5 Ways to Make Your Public Space More Playful (Without a Playground)"
Simple, actionable strategies for creating playful public spaces—no playground required.