Lekplatser : utformning och förvaltning i ett föränderligt samhälle

Abstract: This thesis is about playgrounds, their design and management. Nowadays we speak a lot about children's needs to play and how important outdoor play is for children. Outdoor play is important so that children can move freely and use their imagination. Still, children stay to much indoors playing computer games or watching TV. So, even if we speak a lot about how important outdoor play is, the debate seems to have little effect. Hamrahverfi is more than 20 years old residential area in Reykjavik. I know this area well. I have experienced big changes there from when the playgrounds where new and exciting with lots of children playing there, until now when the playgrounds are worn out and it seems like there are no children playing there any longer. For many years I have now been wondering about what has happened. Is it because the children are all grown up and no new children have moved into the area? Or is it because the children have lost interest in playing on the playgrounds and have other interesting things to do? Or is the management too poor? Can we make a better plan over the management so that playgrounds follow children's needs over time? By reading literature, I have reached a basic understanding about children's need to play and about their outdoor environment. I have read old and new articles in newspapers to get an understanding about people's reflections about playgrounds. I have also interviewed people that have something to do with the playgrounds in Hamrahverfi to get their opinion. I went around the playgrounds to observe their level of maintenance and if they are in use. In Reykjavik there are 116642 inhabitants (December 2007) of whom 1626 live in Hamrahverfi. Hamrahverfi has eight public playgrounds around the neighbourhood. All of the playgrounds seem to be designed for the same age group children around 3 to 8 years old. On the playgrounds many things need to be improved but they also contain opportunities for improvement. It seems that when the playgrounds where designed, the needs of teenagers and children with mobility handicap were forgotten. There are also other places in the neighbourhood that could be in better use.