Designing play into urban environments : strategic-level challenges and best practice in Bradford and Tower Hamlets, UK

Ranken, Emily and Seims, Amanda and Hauari, Hanan and Christie, Nicola and Barber, Sally E. and Cameron, Claire (2025) Designing play into urban environments : strategic-level challenges and best practice in Bradford and Tower Hamlets, UK. Cities & Health. pp. 1-14. ISSN 2374-8834

Abstract

Children have a fundamental need to play and be physically active for their health and wellbeing. Cities, enacted through both built environment and strategic policies, have the potential to enhance or restrict urban physically active play. But cities have densification pressures, and space and infrastructural support for children’s outdoor play are often a low priority. As part of a project scoping ways to ‘design-in’ physically active play in two urban areas of England, we report on the strategic challenges and opportunities that shape urban children’s outdoor play. Policy analysis and fieldwork capturing the views and experiences of policy stakeholders representing public health, play, greenspaces, inclusion, corporate strategy, and urban design in Tower Hamlets and Bradford demonstrates both the extent of barriers to improving playable spaces and some ways to shift the policy mindset. Recommendations concern the need for effective alignment and coordination across policy areas; to establish cross-departmental collaboration; the development of a robust local evidence base; and the importance of ambitious and motivated stakeholders.