Redesign of a playground with the participation of children in Basel

Short Summary

A playground in the city of Basel had to be redesigned due to new security standards. The children of the neighbourhood were asked to participate in the redesign process. Their participation led to a strong feeling of ownership.

Context

A playground in the city of Basel no longer met the security standards and therefore had to be redesigned. When the residents of the neighbourhood approached the municipality, it was quickly agreed that the residents and especially the children should participate in the redesign process. The association “Kinderbüro Basel” (“children’s office Basel”) was mandated to lead the participation process.

Transformational Measures and Activities

The association approached the local primary school and the neighbourhood association and organised a participation event with one school class. The children were asked to craft their dream playground. The project team then tried to include as many wishes as possible in the implementation plan. The children and the residents were invited to participate in the construction work. They all together created a decorative mosaic on the playground.

Results

Thanks to the participation not only in the planning process but also in the construction work, the residents developed a strong feeling of ownership for the playground.

In Depth

Link to the "Kinderbüro Basel": http://www.kinderbuero-basel.ch/