I’ve thinking a lot about affordances recently. An affordance is something in the environment that makes an offer to a person, or that reveals a possible function. Here is an example: a flat hard surface about 20 – 40 cm off the ground affords sitting.
Posted in Outdoor play, play, Play spaces, playground, Public space
Tagged affordance, JJ Gibson, Marketta Kyttä, outdoor play, psychology, public space, Roger Barker, skateboarding
Coming through Stratford City shopping centre around 9 pm last night, I saw a small group of skaters – boards, roller and in-line – exploiting the smooth floors for their tricks and weaves.
Posted in Public space, Urbanism
Tagged London, Olympics, OPLC, public space, skateboarding, skating, urban design, video, young people
Photo by Phil Doyle
This afternoon I spoke at an event called ‘Taking Play Seriously’ in Melbourne, with a mixed audience of professionals, volunteers and parents. It followed my talk last week here at the Playgroup Australia conference. In the Q & A afterwards, one attendee – a local government employee and mother of three – told the audience how she had heard me speak last Thursday. Then two days later, her 10-year-old son had asked her if he could go to the local skatepark on his own.
Posted in Outdoor play, Parenting, Risk
Tagged outdoor play, parenting, skateboarding, skatepark
