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#MOTM: The accessibility of playgrounds

Playing outside has many advantages. It promotes exercise and thus reduces the risk of obesity; children develop social and problem-solving skills; and moreover, playing promotes creativity. Where children play, parents meet which creates more involvement. The playground therefore also plays an important role in the neighbourhood. But how accessible are playgrounds really? And where can they be found?

For our #mapofthemonth, we researched the accessibility of playgrounds for children in the Netherlands together with A.ZINE. We mapped the playgrounds for the whole of the Netherlands*. Physical barriers that stand in the way of playing outside have also been incorporated. This concerns roads with a permitted speed of 50 km / h or higher, trams and railways. These are based on the ratio between the optimal, potential environment at 350 meters around the playground (about a 5-minute walk) compared to the environment that can be reached within this circle, taking into account the physical barriers.

 

Check out the interactive map by clicking on the link below or by scrolling down. This map is the third in a series of four in which we, together with A.ZINE and architect Marieke de Vries, examine how liveable cities are for the most vulnerable in our society: children and the elderly.

 

To the article on A.ZINE (in Dutch)

* The locations of the playgrounds are based on data from Open Street Map. It allowed us to incorporate playgrounds for the whole of the Netherlands, but unfortunately not every playground is on this map.