Planning for Risky Play: From Child-Safe Playgrounds Towards Adventurous Urban Areas

Abstract

A reduction of urban space dedicated to outdoor play has occurred in recent decades, accompanied by a focus on risk reduction when planning for play. Experts increasingly argue in favor of risky play and enabling settings in the urban outdoors. In this paper we examine how risky play is enabled and constrained in two Dutch cities–frontrunners in this debate. Through analyzing path dependencies and institutional change, our qualitative case study (document analysis, expert interviews and focus group) demonstrates some early indicators of a paradigm shift, but also shows the complexity of planning for risky play in dense urban settings.