This Is AuburnElectronic Theses and Dissertations

Play Neighborhood

Date

2016-05-03

Author

Guo, Chang

Type of Degree

Landscape Thesis

Department

Landscape Architecture

Abstract

Nowadays the children’s discretionary time is diminishing. In the modern society, children spend their free time more on television, computing, video games and such kind of indoor activities. In addition, children spent more time on studying, reading. Thus, the total time for play is reducing. Moreover, parental constraints stricter today than one generation ago, which contributes another reason for decreasing play time. However, play is an indispensable part for children’s life. Children have fun in play and play promote children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Play is also important to brain development. Children interact in the world around them through play. This project aims to enhance play quality and provide great experience to children in their daily life at their community. By building a car-free play street across a community and reutilizing the vacant lots and green spaces along the streets scattering within a community, play opportunities are greatly introduced to children. Thus a play network would be created within the neighborhood. The neighborhood culture of play could be cultivated by this play network, where play would be easier if they just need to open the door or go downstairs, neighbor kids are already there playing around. Off work parents may take care of them to ensure safety. This atmosphere could stimulate parents to appreciate value of play and be willing to take their kids to go outside world and play more often. The test is designed in a community, Techwood District Community, at Atlanta downtown. Children have less play opportunities at this place for the limited play space and simple play structure. Understanding people’s most memorable and happiest experience of play in their childhoods, like gathering, achievement and discovery, helps reintroduce those experience into a play neighborhood thus to provide play opportunities and shape the neighborhood culture of play.