1. What problems do we have with current playgrounds?
Our current playgrounds are badly vandalised. Most teenagers would love to take out markers and scribble vulgarities and love notes. But I think, this is not their playground, they didn't pay for it, how could they vandalise anywhere like nobody's business? Residents around that area probably share the same playground. Wouldn't they be not pleased about having a vandalised playground? Next, lots of teenagers love to hang around at playgrounds. Another example would be gangsters meeting place. They would occupy the whole playground as if that is their gang's territory. It would definitely make residents around that area feel uneasy while walking pass the playground or children wanting to play the playground. Who knows what the gangsters might do to you? Badly littered playground also makes residents around that area not to come to use the playground. So if no one use the playground, what is the point of building one?
2. How can we as citizens improve the playgrounds?
Firstly, if we see any people attempting to vandalise the playgrounds, we should therefore walk to he/she to tell them it's wrong to do that and we ourselves should not do that as role models. As for gangsters, we should call for neighbourhood police,if possible, to chase them away. Of cause, for bad littering situations, we can write to the town council to put up notices stating that he/she will be fined if found littering or to provide more dustbins around that area so that litter bugs wouldn't have excuses to say he/she could not see any dustbins around.
3. In what way can we make the playground more attractive for people of different abilities?
Instead of vandalising of vulgarities and love notes, we could scribble encouraging words for people with different abilities. Make the playground as colourful, paint the whole playground by an artistic person, draw cute little cartoons that children may like, for children of course. For adults, I've seriously never thought of that. Designing shorter playground would make it easier for wheel-bound people.
4. How can we make the playground more accessible to children with different abilities?
People of different abilities, such as paralysed could also use the playground. Not necessary, playgrounds should only be of slides. We could also design a fitness corner beside the playground. Some that is inclusive of bars at the side to hold on and try to walk for those who are paralysed down-wards or do some exercise for stretching their limbs for some people that might recover, just like doing some kind of therapy. Of course, wheel-bound people can't go to playgrounds and fitness corner on wheels. What i meant was actually to design slopes for wheelchairs.
by AMANDA XD