Parks / Recreation / Play / Sports Facility Design

75-Minute Education Session

MON-B07 - Nature, Adventure and Destination: Departures from Status Quo in Public Play Environments

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, FL, NY/HSW

Lead Speaker(s)

• 

  Rebecca Colbert, ASLA

  Landscape Architect
  MIG

Speaker(s)

• 

  Laurel Raines, ASLA

  Sr Principal / Founder
  Dig Studio
• 

  Tom Leader, FASLA

  Principal/ Founder
  TLS Landscape Architecture

Communities increasingly seek creative opportunities for children and families to engage in meaningful play. As the status quo shifts, differing approaches have emerged—some emphasizing the use of natural elements, others iconic design features. This session explores ways in which these approaches support healthy human development.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain awareness of the role of public play environments in the broader social-ecological contexts of young people’s lives.
• Learn about the developmental benefits of play in the outdoors.
• Understand the opportunities for developmentally appropriate play that different settings may afford young people.
• Examine commonalities and differences between different approaches to the design of play environments and how they support child development.