Parks and playgrounds

For CBD families, these places are an integral part of our lives.

Parks are where parents walk with their babies in prams during the early days – sleep-deprived – to get some sunshine. Then they become the place where your child practises their walking, running and before long, their sliding and climbing.

For teens they provide a “third place”, somewhere they can hang out with friends after school and on weekends without cost and is available all the time.

The importance of these places is particularly acute for CBD families because unlike many of our suburban counterparts, we do not have immediate access to outdoor space like a backyard. That means, the park holds a much higher significance, and it also means that the design, particularly of the playgrounds, needs to take these factors into consideration.

In the CBD, there are no enclosed playgrounds. That means, when you have a speedy toddler or preschooler who loves nothing more than to run, run, run – you too are running, running, running.

For the parent or carer who might be trying to keep up with two or more children, or the grandparent looking after an active child, the playground becomes off-limits because it has no limits.

This might seem hyperbolic but let’s look at the example of my own local playground at Flagstaff Gardens, which is the main one servicing CBD families. The playground is located on the north-east side of the gardens, closest to the market for good reason. It has bushes that surround the playground area and act as a marker for the perimeter of the playground, however they are not a barrier.

For the child who delights in running off, they are quickly around the bushes, across the barbecue area and at the edge of the garden faced with a drop of about a metre which will land them in the path of pedestrians, scooters, cyclists or delivery riders. Then it’s the road – trams, cars, trucks and all.

I have spoken with parents who want to take their older child to the playground but do not because they cannot supervise a baby and a toddler at the one time without help. And I have met parents who, when they are too exhausted to follow their child endlessly around the expanse of the CBD parks, will travel to enclosed playgrounds so their child can safely play while they catch their breath.

Not all playgrounds need to be enclosed of course. But the amenity of some of the city playgrounds for the local families, for whom it is their “backyard” would greatly improve if one or two were tastefully enclosed.

Another idea for improving access to safe play space in postcode 3000 could be to utilise a CBD rooftop. Within the grid, there are no playgrounds available and very few ground level spaces that would be appropriate. However, as we can see from the proliferation of rooftop bars, there is quite a lot of space to be found away from traffic, with access to fresh air and sunshine.

A dedicated play space for little ones to go and let off some steam during the day would not only be wonderful for those of us that live within the “grid” but also for our visitors from interstate and abroad. Done well, it could be an attraction in its own right!

The city is increasingly becoming a city of families, so let us find a way to ensure that our families can enjoy our CBD “backyards” safely and comfortably. •