This book provides an empirical analysis of the concept of play as a
form of spatial practice in urban public spaces. The introduced
City-Play-Framework (CPF) is a practical urban analysis tool that allows
urban designers, landscape architects and researchers to develop a
shared awareness when opening up this window of possibility for
adventure.
Two case studies substantiate and illustrate the development process and
testing of the framework in Canberra, Australia, and Potsdam, Germany.
The appropriation of public spaces that transcend boundaries can
facilitate an intrinsic connection between people and their immediate
environment, towards a more joyful ontological state of human existence
in which imagination, co-creation and a sense of agency are key elements
of the design approach. The framework presents an alternative
understanding of public spaces and public life, reflecting on theory and
its implications for practice in a post-pandemic world in dense urban
centres.
A bridge between theory and practice, this book explores possibilities
on what future design ought to be when openness and ambiguity are
consciously integrated parts of practice and process. The book presents
a valuable discussion on public space and play for academic audiences
across a wide range of disciplines such as landscape architecture, urban
design, planning, architecture and urban sociology, which is informative
for future practice.
