Absurd Safety in Playgrounds Causing Accidents

Planner Sharon Danks says that as playgrounds become less challenging due to concerns over liability, kids invent their own, far more dangerous uses for the equipment.

1 minute read

May 30, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

Grist interviews Danks about her new book, Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation. She says that she's focused on creating "environments that combine diverse ecosystems with varied play environments and hands-on learning experiences."

Danks thinks that playgrounds can teach kids to understand natural processes and make them more informed citizens:

"If a school treats water responsibly, produces some of its own energy, has space for wildlife habitat, and makes some of its own food, kids understand from an early age how these things work and learn to value them."

FULL STORY: How to build a better playground

Friday, May 27, 2011 in Grist

Environment Landscape Architecture United States Playgrounds Ecological Systems

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