Universal playgrounds, barrier-free playgrounds, accessible playgrounds, and inclusive playgrounds all represent "playspaces" without discrimination and embody the concept of 'social integration' where meaning of equality is symbolized. Overseas, the concept of 'inclusive playgrounds' is inherently reflected in playgrounds, it allows everyone to use the playspaces without discrimination. Our company actively plans to incorporate such precedents into domestic projects.

This trip was conducted as a preliminary study to investigate examples of inclusive playground installations and to research direction of business development. We chose Taiwan as the destination for this trip because the Taiwanese government is currently engaged in various urban regeneration projects that reflect the return of parks within the city and the freedom and rights of children.

Initially, the Taiwanese government was not proactive in urban regeneration efforts. Few years ago, Taiwan faced issues such as low birth rates, urban development, and aging parks. Parents from specialized fields such as child psychology, early childhood education, occupational therapy, design, and landscape architecture came all together forming a civic group called 'TWPfC.' This group advocated for creating a vibrant, children-friendly city where children could grow and thrive in a better environment. Their efforts have led to the government now actively pursuing urban regeneration projects.

 During this business trip, we visited numerous sites with the 'TWPfC' group and landscape companies involved in Taiwan's urban regeneration projects, 'LANDVISION' and 'SUPRO.' We received explanations and held meetings related to children-friendly urban regeneration and inclusive playgrounds.

01.‘Xing Guo Park’

Inclusive playspaces and resting facilities designed for use by various people including disabilities. 

The first site we visited was 'Xing Guo Park.' It is the first generation-convergence park in Taipei City, reconstructed from a former urban temporary parking lot, and the most recent project by 'LANDVISION.' Insights were drawn through numerous citizen participation activities such as spatial planning, interviews, on-site surveys, and workshops. Through universal design and barrier-free spatial planning, this park is a citizen-participation space where children with and without disabilities, parents, and the elderly can communicate and relax together.

We visited on the afternoon of the first day and the morning of the last day. Observing office workers having meal, elderly people out for a walk, and parents playing with their children.  All using the different areas of the park regardless of age showed that the park effectively reflected users' needs and insights from the planning stage. The facilities within the park incorporate integrated design to be accessible for wheelchair users.

When we visited around 7 PM, there were many users of various age groups, both individuals and families. People were eating dinner, watching dramas on tablets, exercising, and interacting with residents. Purposes of using the space is to make the park more vibrant and livelier.

 It was difficult to believe that this space had been a temporary parking lot just few years ago. The swings and pergolas are decorated with airplane motifs and paper airplane-shaped pergolas, reflecting the historical background of the city, which had an air force base. The more you look, the more you realize how thoughtfully the space was designed.

02.‘Dajia Riverside Park’

"The second site we visited was 'Dajia Riverside Park,' located along with the Keelung River, which flows through the heart of Taipei. It is a large urban green park created as part of a greening project by the Taipei government. The expansive park features various types of play spaces, such as sand playgrounds, inclusive playgrounds, and mounding playgrounds. The material they have used for the facilities is not commonly used in Korea. Although most of the facilities were outdated and not particularly aesthetically pleasing, the design reflected the concept of inclusive play, showing consideration for all users without discrimination.

 We visited on a weekday morning and did not see any park users. Compared to 'Xing Guo Park,' which we visited the previous day, it felt like an empty space. However, given the location, I think there might be more users on weekends."

If you look at the swing in the image, you can see that it has a double safety mechanism designed to prevent accidents in case the rope breaks. Additionally, the information board is made with braille, allowing visually impaired individuals to use it. The design of the facilities in the park not only looks good aesthetically but also shows that various users were considered from the planning and production stages.

03.‘Xinsheng Park Area of Taipei Expo Park’

 The third site we visited was the 'Xinsheng Park Area of Taipei Expo Park.' This play space within the Expo Park is divided into four distinct areas.

The first playarea was equipped with a standard combination play structure, like those often seen on Pinterest from overseas examples, which was a pleasant surprise. I initially thought there might be issues with meeting safety certification standards in Korea, but inside of the play structure, it was clear that a lot of attention had been made to structural aspects. While externally it looked like a typical net play tower combined with net crossing and slides, the interior design showed careful consideration from the planning stage to prevent accidents.

"The second area is a sand playspace. It is an inclusive playarea designed to allow wheelchair users to enjoy sand play along with other children. The space and facilities are planned to facilitate various play methods, including the use of water in the sand playarea.

 The lower parts of the facilities are designed to inclusive play standards, enabling children in wheelchairs to naturally integrate and play alongside others. For example, the sand crane is installed outside the main sand play area, allowing it to be used from wheelchair-accessible pathways.

 By integrating inclusive play function into the facilities, the design allows for shared use of the space rather than exclusive use. Additionally, a variety of materials are used in the design of the space and facilities, which helps them blend seamlessly into the overall environment."

"The third area is an integrated play space. It is closer to mounding play rather than a typical combination play structure. Unlike conventional combination play structures, many of the playground facilities in Taiwanese parks are made of concrete. This might be due to Taiwan's climate. I found these facilities to be more appealing than those with strong colors and images when they utilize natural materials. 

I assume the materials they use are less sensitive to temperature due to the hot and humid climate.

 Looking at the pathways in the play area, the routes for non-disabled and disabled individuals are not completely separated and overlap in many places. While some might think this could cause inconvenience or accidents, I believe it allows for natural integration and interaction in a shared space without complete segregation. Designing a space with entirely separate pathways is not an act of consideration but discrimination. In this regard, it seems that great care was taken in planning the space and its play functions from the beginning.

 The decision to use a concrete wide slide instead of a typical PE slide or STS slide might also be part of this inclusive approach."

In addition, there were many barrier-free play facilities that I had seen frequently on the internet, scattered throughout the park. I believe that researching the operating principles and specifications of these facilities could help in developing even better inclusive play equipment.

 There were also informational signs suggesting how to use the playground equipment. I thought that proposing play methods in this way could be a way to prevent safety accidents.

04.‘Central Art Park’

The fourth site we visited was the 'Huashan Grassland Playground' at Central Art Park. The playground was designed with the themes of the old Huashan Station and Huashan Winery. From the planning stage, it involved observing the play environment and conducting workshops to gather insights and ideas with children, making it a participatory play space.

Throughout the playground, informational signs display the themes of the playground along with the workshop processes in which the children participated. By combining the local history with children's ideas, the space becomes more symbolic.

During the workshops, children's activity patterns, interests, and drawings were incorporated into the design, reflected in the play routes, functions, and images within the space. Through understanding the local history during the workshops, children develop a greater affection for the space and become more immersed in it.

In the sand play area, the space is designed so that wheelchair users can use the lower deck while general users can use the upper deck, allowing both to engage in sand play on the same level. Even with the same functionality, planning the space with different levels and pathways to enable inclusive play were impressive.

05.‘Dun'an Park’

The fifth site we visited was 'Dun'an Park.' This visit was conducted together with 'SUPRO,' a Taiwanese facility company. The CEO and designer of 'SUPRO' explained the design and planning process of the playground at the site. They also explained the internal workshops and ideation processes typically conducted when developing new play facilities.

The most notable aspects of this playground were the flooring material with the information signs. In Taiwan, as seen in the photo, pea gravel is often used as a flooring material. I was concerned that children might eat or throw the gravel, potentially not leading to accidents.

 The designer explained that feedback from people is better when natural materials are used for flooring instead of rubber chips, and that these materials absorb collisions better when children fall. When discussing concerns about children eating or throwing the gravel, the designer showed us the information signs, which guide parents to supervise and educate their children to avoid such dangerous behaviors.

 I appreciated that these signs, unlike those in Korea which often focus on warnings or prohibitions, encourage parents to observe, educate, and take responsibility for ensuring that children are aware of safety. In this playground and others, we visited, most signs provided guidance on what to do rather than what not to do.

Honestly, what stood out in this playground was not about the functionality, but finishing of the play facilities. In most playgrounds, the metal framework is exposed. However, in the owl play structure at this site, the metal structure is covered with wood, making it look as if the complex structure was entirely made of wood, giving the impression of a purely wooden play facility.

 Using this finishing method might be expensive for play facilities intended for natural settings, but it greatly enhances the perceived quality of the product. According to 'SUPRO,' the design and installation of play facilities are like those of Korean companies, but there is much to learn from their material finishing details.

06.‘Youth park’

 Our final site visit was to 'Youth Park.' We visited 'Youth Park' with 'LANDVISION,' the planners of the park, and the Taiwanese parent organization 'TWPfC.'

 The urban regeneration project of Youth Park began with the children's play rights movement led by 'TWPfC.' Among the outdated playgrounds in Taiwan, the spaceship playground at Youth Park was one of the most notable one. In this context, the parent group 'TWPfC' proposed a renovation project to the government, emphasizing the right to play for children and addressing the lack and deterioration of playground spaces. The spaceship playground at Youth Park was the first project to be renewed.

 Inspired by this success, 'TWPfC' has since collaborated with the Taiwanese government on many playground improvement projects. The airplane playground, additionally installed at Youth Park, is one such project. This playground was created by 'LANDVISION,' the landscape architecture firm that also planned the first site we visited, 'Xing Guo Park.'

 When observing the landscaping around the airplane playground at Youth Park, I remarked that it had a similar feel to the first site. Indeed, 'Xing Guo Park' was included in the portfolio provided by 'LANDVISION.'

 "If you look at the image, you can see that the boundaries separating the spaces, the overall materials, and the design all look very similar. After listening to the explanation, I learned that before planning the space, they actively communicated with park users to gather a lot of information, ensuring that the space could be used by a variety of users rather than creating unnecessary spaces. They then conducted workshops and actively incorporated insights gained from identifying issues in the existing park. This was very impactful to hear. When designing playgrounds, there is often a dilemma where children are the users, but adults are the decision-makers. While a lot of observation and research is done on children, much of the focus often seems to be on personal preferences or appearance."

The play functions of the playground were designed to reflect insights gained from workshops, ensuring that the equipment would be preferred by children and could be used by various age groups together. The height and access methods of the play equipment were designed to accommodate wheelchair users, allowing both non-disabled and disabled individuals to use the facilities together.

In the image, looking at the left pathway, it seems that the play structure is not independently placed in the space but rather integrated into the overall pathway, making it a functional part of the play area. The access method is non-discriminatory, allowing everyone to use it, with different levels of difficulty based on the approach. These thoughtful considerations for users come together to create an integrated play space.

"Technically integrating inclusive play into playground equipment not only demonstrates an improvement in awareness of inclusive play but also shows how movements by organizations like 'TWPfC' can lead to better play environments in Taiwan and improve public perception. Besides direct activities, indirectly raising awareness through small campaign messages on stickers attached to playground equipment, as seen in the image, is also a good idea to attract people's attention."

Finally, during the field trip to Taiwan, the first thing I noticed was that the perception of playgrounds differs significantly not only among the creators but also among the users and the children's guardians compared to our country. Moreover, the goal of the commissioning body is not just to create impressive play spaces as an one-off project. Instead, they strive to include the materials, functions, and stories within the playground from the planning stage through surveys and workshops, involving direct citizen participation. This approach is something we should learn from.

 Additionally, when observing the perception and culture of playground users in Taiwan, it seems that for children to use playgrounds in a safe and pleasant environment. they must learn and practice this through education from their guardians. This approach considers children as valuable individuals who should be cherished and allowed to enjoy the space independently, rather than simply being protected.

To promote play and related culture and awareness, Taiwan uses a powerful and influential message: "Play is the soul of children, be positive with it. Have fun with the little people!" This is something we should emulate. Secondly, Taiwan makes diverse and bold attempts when creating playgrounds. To highlight, most playground facilities were made of plastic. However, due to the efforts of organizations like TWPfC, they have shifted towards natural materials like artificial stone, greenery, sand, bark, and pea gravel, considering the environment and children's health.

This shows that the focus has shifted from maintenance to creating play spaces that are more beneficial for children's growth and development, which will positively impact their healthy growth in the future. After this field trip, I feel a strong sense of responsibility for future research and the awareness of inclusive spaces where playgrounds can be utilized by everyone without discrimination or separation.

Author: Spacetalk Playground Designer