Braunschweig „Play Journeys“
Several playgrounds and outing destinations for adolescents in Braunschweig created with the intensive involvement of children and juveniles have been linked up by two bicycle routes. The highpoint is an award-winning “jungle playground”.
This project has been put into the archive. The project details will not be updated anymore.
Context
Source: www.bsforyou.de
The child-friendly design of playgrounds and (open) spaces is one of the main concerns of Braunschweig (pop. 240.000) council’s youth promotion efforts. The council has been involving children and adolescents in the planning of new playgrounds and play spaces needing redevelopment since 1995. Approximately 35 new facilities have been created or upgraded, respectively, since then.
Project description
Source: Isabel Fuhrmann
The „City Greenery“ department has – based on a city map for cyclists – designed two bicycle tours with the intention of linking up playgrounds and recreation areas for adolescents in an environment-friendly manner. The bicycle routes are approximately 14 km (in the inner city area) and approximately 40 km (along the periphery) long and avoid better-known and busy streets for most of this length. Described as „play journeys“, the tours impress by revealing the sheer variety of Braunschweig’s playground landscape. All the playgrounds along both routes have been upgraded or newly built in recent years, mostly with the involvement of children and adolescents. The council’s youth promotion department organized this involvement with the intention of developing a design solution that would reflect the needs of all user groups. This approach ensures a high degree of identification with and connection to the respective playground. The bicycle routes and individual playgrounds are elucidated in a map made available in brochure and poster formats. The main target groups of this offer include families, associations, schools and day-care centres. The project effectively opens up Braunschweig’s rich play potential – via bicycle – for children and adults alike.
A particularly successful playground along the play route is the „jungle playground“ in “Wachtelstieg”, in the middle of a densely populated district. A so-called „Climbing Forest“ featuring a climbing frame, a shaky bridge, nets, a tree house and a slide havy been created here on a heavily overgrown wasteland. A walk featuring various surface materials runs through the playground to provide a “Path of the Senses”. Most of the existing vegetation has been preserved, with some augmentations here and there. The playground with ithe natural design is linked to the surrounding inner city quarters via a network of paths. For the jungle playground also, children and adolescents were involved in the planning processes performed by the youth and parks departments. Most of the children’s wishes and ideas to be elaborated could be realized.
Project chronology
Year | Event |
---|---|
1999 | Involvement campaign for the planning and realization of the “Jungle Playground” |
2000 | Opening of the “Jungle Playground” |
2002 | Entrant in the competition for the playground award “SPIELRAUM-Preis 2002” |
2003 | Elaboration and publication of “Play Journeys” leading to playgrounds and recreation spaces for adolescents |
Aims
Source: www.bsforyou.de
- Networking urban play spaces
- Promotion of bicycle traffic in the city
- Advertising interesting outing destinations and play spaces
- Creating demand-driven play options
Types of measures
Source: www.bsforyou.de
- Elaboration of two bicycle routes leading to playgrounds and recreation spaces for adolescents
- Creation of a poster and flyer to introduce the routes
- Reclaiming a former wasteland for use as a play space
- Involvement of children and adolescents
Innovations
Source: www.bsforyou.de
The consistent and continuous involvement of children and adolescents in the redevelopment and construction of play areas facilitates the creation of varied and high-quality leisure time options within the city. Interlinking the play areas provides public urban spaces with a coherence which can be experienced, which further advances their functional qualities.
Sources
- Stadt Braunschweig (Braunschweig Council) (2003): Spielreise durch Braunschweig (Play Journey Through Braunschweig).
- Stadt Braunschweig (Braunschweig Council), Pressestelle(press office) (2003): Entdeckungstouren durch die Braunschweiger Spielplatzlandschaft (Discovery Tours through Braunschweig’s Playground Landscape). Braunschweig
- Braunschweiger Jugendnetzwerk (Braunschweig Youth Network) (n. y.): Spielplatz Wachtelstieg als vorbildlich ausgezeichnet. Ein neuer Spielplatz für das westliche Ringgebiet! (Playground „Wachtelstieg“ Honoured as Exemplary. A New Playground for the Western Ring Area!). Braunschweig
n. auth. (2003): Der Dschungel liegt mitten in der Stadt. Deutscher SPIELRAUM-Preis 2002 (The Jungle is in the Middle of the City. German Playground Award 2002). In: „Stadt und Raum“ magazine, 2/2003. n. l.
Further information
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 38104 - town: Braunschweig - street: Herzogin-Elisabeth-Straße 80.
Poject site on Google-Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/wAzaXc41cdS2
Last update: 21.02.2018