Children & youth in the city

This essay describes current and creative practices of placemaking, by children and youth in public space in an urban context. It is in part based on my master’s thesis in landscape architecture: Ungas plats i offentlig miljö; Om att göra, hänga och skapa i det gemensamma rummet. The purpose of the thesis is to contribute to a socially sustainable and boundary-breaching planning of public space, that can support a more flexible use of the places that we share, so that everyone, regardless of age, can feel a sense of belonging.  

Children’s play, their need to engage in, and explore different kinds of physical challenges, and opportunities to practice problem-solving, are recognized as vital components of human development. Adventure playgrounds are a widespread phenomenon all over the world, and used to be common in Sweden. This is no longer the case. In this essay, Guldängen Adventure playground in Malmö is described with several pictures, due to its unique character as the only staffed play space in the city of Malmö. At Guldängen, the children are in charge of the esthetics. They decide what’s being built, and they are given the means to build it themselves. 

The other places are presented as snapshots of a more random character.

The aim of the essay is to show how children and youth make use of public space, adapting it to their own needs to achieve a sense of belonging. All examples have been documented by the author or by Växtvärket Malmö, the non-profit organization running Guldängen Adventure playground in collaboration with the city of Malmö.

Guldängen adventure playground. A unique, ever-changing place. Open for play and exploration 24/7 year-round, by, with, and for children! In Uddeholmsparken public park, Sofielund, Malmö (https://www.vaxtvarket.se/projekt/guldangen/).

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