Uses of Time

“Transforming School Playgrounds" is aligned with Barcelona’s principles as an educating city and seekes to redesign playgrounds from both a physical and educational point of view. The programme is part of the Municipal Plan for Play in Public Spaces, to make school playgrounds greener, co-educational and community spaces. Furthermore, within the framework of the fight against the climate emergency, the municipal Climate Plan shows how transforming the city by transforming schools is a key strategy for mitigating the impacts of the environmental crisis.

When school playgrounds are redesigned, the new and improved natural, sustainable, community and educational spaces offer a more naturalised site that fosters egalitarian dynamics and relationships resulting from the diversification of play opportunities and promotes active play and community uses of the space as a neighbourhood facility, both during and outside school hours, creating connections and building communities.

This scheme is primarily aimed at the school’s educational community, with a particular focus on students, teachers, lunchtime supervisors and families, as well as external organisations. The service has municipal technical advisers, a team of architects and the support of process facilitators.

This programme stems from the idea that school playgrounds and the activities that take place in these spaces should be part of the school’s educational plan. To this end, the educational community must be at the heart of the reflection process and the improvements to spaces, experiences and uses of the playgrounds. The co-creation process begins at the start of the new school year and ends in May of the following year.

The programme is based on the idea that the playground and what happens in it must be part of the school's educational project. In this sense, the educational community must take the lead in reflecting on and improving the spaces, experiences and uses of playgrounds. The co-creation process begins with the new school year and runs until May of the following year.

Time Impacts:

• Improved quality of leisure time and equity in educational and leisure activities.
• Facilitation of work-life balance.
• Promotion of social and cultural participation.
   

More information: 
We transform playgrounds (in Spanish)