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A Playful City

@aplayfulcity.bsky.social
938 followers 151 following 103 posts
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
"A city that moves at the pace of its people rather than its cars is a city that understands progress." - Catherine Conlon, Senior Medical Officer, HSE, Cork. Former Director of Human Health and Nutrition at safefood. www.echolive.ie/corkviews/ar...
echolive.ie
Cork Views: Fewer cars will make new Cork city village such an idyllic spot
Cork City Council has exciting, innovative plans for a village within the historic core of the city. But the plans need to retain their ambition to ...
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
"Too often when we think about play in a planning context, we default to thinking about structured activity and providing spaces that are designated and equipped. - Gemma Hyde, Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) 1 of 2
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
🎉A DAY FOR PLAY! 🎉 Wishing our 362 communities running Playful Streets across the globe 🇮🇪🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇦🇿🇦🇵🇰🇲🇽🇩🇰🌍 a very ✨Happy International Day of Play✨ Thanks to ChangeX & The LEGO Foundation for their incredible support 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 are now in ‣ 9 countries 🇮🇪🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇦🇿🇦🇵🇰🇲🇽🇩🇰🇻🇳 ‣ 362 communities ‣ 5 languages 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇻🇳🇪🇸🇩🇰
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
✨Befores → Afters✨ of The Gaps, Sallynoggin, May 2025. "What makes this project truly unique is that it is entirely community led." - Frank Curran, Chief Executive, DRLCC In partnership with @dlrcc.bsky.social @aplayfulcity.bsky.social & the National Transport Authority
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Irish Doctors for the Environment @irishdocsenv.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Trial a Strand Road cycle path for 12 months Dublin City Council won its legal case after years of Court battles. We cannot listen to those who are trying to block quick action on climate change, road safety, and increasing mobility options. Please sign and share!
my.uplift.ie
Trial a Strand Road cycle path for 12 months
I've just signed this petition calling on the council to trial a Strand Road cycle path for 12 months. Will you sign too?
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Why is it that road safety campaigns so often emphasise high-vis & helmets, yet rarely directly address the dangerous design of vehicles — especially the height & bluntness of "SUV" bonnets that put pedestrians, particularly children, at far greater risk? www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/n...
lshtm.ac.uk
Being hit by an SUV increases the likelihood of death or serious injury | LSHTM
The likelihood of a pedestrian or cyclist being fatally injured is 44% higher if they are hit by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) or light truck vehicle (LTV) compared with smaller passenger cars, new
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Emmet Ó Briain @emmet.quiddity.ie · 26/04/2025
We are adding more and more vehicles, of increasing size, into a finite physical space that was designed for fewer, and smaller, vehicles. In Ireland, we went from approx.700,000 cars in 1985 (for a pop of 3.5m) to 2.5m cars in 2023 (pop. 5million).
In Ireland, we went from approx.700,000 cars in 1985 (for a pop of 3.5m) to  2.5m cars in 2023 (pop. 5million).
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
What if a tree could talk—and not just talk, but share its experience of the world around it? The Talking Tree project by Droga5 Dublin & Accenture Song brings a 150-year-old horse chestnut tree to life using localized AI & real-time environmental data. www.rte.ie/news/2025/04...
rte.ie
Project gives 200-year-old Dublin tree 'a voice'
If a tree could talk, what would it say? And what would you say to it?
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
The OECD "Cities for All Ages" report provides a structured & evidence-based approach for governments to cultivate urban environments that are inclusive & supportive for residents of all ages. The full report: www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
"Design Justice begins with a simple premise: the built environment is never neutral. Cities are designed, & design is power. Who gets to shape a city? Who benefits from its architecture, its transport, its housing? Who is displaced, erased, pushed to the margins?" www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
"The objective is therefore not to create specific facilities for children, but to consider the place of young people in order to improve public spaces for the benefit of all." theconversation.com/pourquoi-les...
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
🚀👏 A collaborative project between #NationalTransportAuthority, #dlrCC & @aplayfulcity.bsky.social bringing local community in Sallynoggin together to reimagine an underutilised laneway as a beautiful and meaningful space for all those who live, work & play there. www.dlrcoco.ie/news/general...
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
Situations like these are among the key reasons why A Playful City was founded! R.Kikuo Johnson’s "Upstairs, Downstairs" cover for The New Yorker captures a reality that too many parents and caregivers face: cities are not always designed with young children—or those pushing strollers—in mind.
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Streetsblog USA @usa.streetsblog.org · 25/03/2025
Which came first: the chicken (deadly driving) or the egg (a culture that normalizes it)?
usa.streetsblog.org
Does the Media Help Create the Traffic Violence Crisis? — Streetsblog USA
Which came first: the chicken (deadly driving) or the egg (a culture that normalizes it)?
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Every £1 spent on community sport and physical activity generates over £4 for the English economy and society. www.sportengland.org/news-and-ins...
sportengland.org
New figures illustrate impact of investing in physical activity | Sport England
Research commissioned by Sport England finds that every £1 spent on community sport and physical activity generates over £4 for the English economy and society.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
"66% of you voted "in favor" of greening and pedestrianizing 500 new streets across all neighborhoods. In the coming weeks, a consultation will be held to define the list of streets and begin the city's transformation!"
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Streets designed for play, not just car drivers! There's a vision for a 1km-long ‘play link’ for families, offering a dedicated space for recreation. It's all about putting people first & creating a truly liveable and playful community... www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...
manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Manchester's new 'woodland town' where the streets will be for kids, not cars
“We want safe, compact streets"
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
"a new narrative is key to how we might reimagine the future, given that some 60% of us live in towns. In this I turned to Cathal Mulry, director at A Playful City and UCC lecturer in urban design futures ..." www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
irishexaminer.com
Cork city rose to the occasion during covid, but is starting to lose its shine
How we use our city and town centres changed a lot during the pandemic — and they haven't fully recovered
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Playing Out @playingout.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
This is the exact opposite of what should be happening if we want children to be outside, moving, healthy and happy! We and allies will be strongly opposing this change.
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
I keep seeing the same common theme: the impossible standards placed on anyone advocating changes to our transport system. Question car dependency and you're expected to address every inequality and injustice at the same time; but support car dependency and you'll never be challenged on these issues
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
What makes a street exciting, relaxing, or stressful to walk on? A new study presents a systematic way to analyse how urban design shapes emotions. ✨ Lively streets excite 🎭 🌿 Green spaces relax 🍃 🏢 Monotony bores 🚗 Traffic stress 😨 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
"Time spent playing outdoors has declined by 50% in a generation & fewer than three in ten children say that they play out on the street." www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...
centreforyounglives.org.uk
Inquiry Report Calls On The Government To Restore School Playtime Amid Warning That Play Is Being Squeezed Out Of Children’s Lives — Play Commission
The Raising the Nation Play Commission, a year-long independent inquiry into why play is critical to the wellbeing of children in England, publishes its Interim Report, ‘State of Play’. The Commission...
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
"Active by day and dream-like at dusk, it glows like a lantern. In contrast to the austere monuments that populate the parks, it reminds us we should never take ourselves too seriously." www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/peter-c...
architectsjournal.co.uk
Peter Cook submits plans for ‘mischievous’ second 2025 Serpentine pavilion
Designs by Peter Cook for a second 2025 Serpentine pavilion, focused on play and taking Zaha Hadid’s ‘pioneering spirit’ as inspiration, have been revealed in planning documents
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
HOT RESEARCH NEWS! Motonormativity ("car brain") is a bias that stops people making rational judgements about driving en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motonor... Our new study shows where this bias comes from AND how it makes people think they're odd for supporting changes to the transport system 🧵
Cover sheet of a journal article: "Why do cars get a free ride? The social-ecological roots of motonormativity" by Ian Walker and Marco te Brömmelstroet
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
"Whether we're active or sedentary really plays a profound role in our health status... the evidence suggests your environment can have big implications for your social & emotional wellbeing too." www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
nationalgeographic.com
Why your neighborhood matters more for your health than you think
Do you want to be happier, healthier, wealthier, and more creative? Experts say there’s one quality you should prioritize in choosing where to live.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
AN URBAN ALLEGORY A beautiful child's eye vision of the city in all its (extra)ordinariness from director Alice Rohrwacher (LA CHIMERA) & renowned street artist JR. Worth the watch 📽️ youtu.be/5XpztZXCP_U?...
youtu.be
AN URBAN ALLEGORY | Official Trailer | Hand-picked by MUBI
YouTube video by MUBI
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Ohio Bikedude @rholt.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
"Ignoring children’s needs doesn’t just make streets unsafe for them, this also affects their independence/health and access to education/extracurricular activities. When kids can’t safely walk or bike, they miss out on opportunities to be active, explore and play.", americawalks.org/better-stree...
americawalks.org
Freedom to Move: Who Do Streets Serve When Cars Come Before Children? America Walks
Why does our transportation system fail to serve kids. Learn how building better streets for kids benefits everyone’s well-being.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Children's independent mobility is not just a matter of individual choices, but a product of the environments we create. Shift the focus from simply mitigating risks for children in dangerous environments to creating environments that are safe & supportive of children's independence.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Good street planning & design has a multitude of benefits including: 💨less energy use and fewer emissions 🤝 better community connections ❤️ better health outcomes 🌻 improved amenity 🤫 less noise 🙂improved transport affordability 🔄 reduced traffic congestion 🛍️ benefits to local businesses 1 of 2
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
This 35-page bureaucratic document redefined the use of America’s streets, tailoring them to the benefit of the automotive industry. www.fastcompany.com/91267013/100...
fastcompany.com
How a century-old traffic policy made streets deadly for pedestrians
L.A.'s Traffic Ordinance quickly became the template across the country.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
"The social sustainability of an environment can be studied using two sets of indicators: the perceived quality of the living environment and the accessibility of everyday services." -Marketta Kyttä helda.helsinki.fi/items/0355d4...
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natalia barbour @nataliabarbour.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Heavier vehicles —> more particles More vehicles —> more particles Mode shift on short trips —> fewer particles
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
In an article in Nature in January, Canadian & Norwegian researchers pointed out the benefits of risky – but not outright dangerous – play, particularly outside, in helping children build transferable risk-management skills. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
theguardian.com
Soft spaces out, stick-fighting in: Dutch call for the return of risky play
Encouraging kids to play with fire? Hear us out, says party worried by the Netherlands’ increasingly sedentary ways
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
The prompt is: "He is a boy. He’s from here, and you are responsible for him." 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴—on display at NCAD until 17th February— goes beyond stereotypes, showing that young men are more than how they’re often perceived. www.irishtimes.com/culture/art/...
irishtimes.com
‘Young men aren’t just b****rds running around on their bikes ... everyone has their own dreams’
A Dublin project explores how the world shapes young men by helping some of them to create ‘boys’ as they really see them
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
"Urban planners...will no longer consider green spaces as expendable. Instead, nature will be seen as part of the critical infrastructure of a healthy city" If we can’t get to the forest, the forest must come to us, in the form of cities designed around green spaces. www.wired.com/story/health...
wired.com
Healthier Cities Will Require a Strong Dose of Nature
If we can’t get to the forest, the forest must come to us, in the form of cities designed around green spaces.
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Stephen Frost @sfrost.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
The answer (in part) = “Dutch drivers pay far more tax if they have a heavier car. The idea is to penalise those vehicles which most contribute to causing the potholes to help pay for the roads.”
telegraph.co.uk
How the Netherlands eradicated the pothole
Taxes on heavy cars ensure Dutch roads are among the smoothest in the world
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Boissy-le-Chatel (77) A skateable work of art 🛹 - Constructo Skatepark + Inout Concept (design) / MBL Architectes + bureau David Apheceix (architects) / Camille Fréchou (landscaper) / Vulcano Skatepark (construction) 2019 www.constructo.fr/boissy-le-ch...
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Emmet Ó Briain @emmet.quiddity.ie · 28/01/2025
Two of the most popular articles I've written in the past couple of years were short pieces about play streets. I noticed that a lot of the people commenting talked about how it reminded them of the autonomy and independence they enjoyed in their childhood.
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
A new UK group is suggesting a five-point manifesto to address the rise of SUVs www.suv-alliance.org.uk
suv-alliance.org.uk
SUV Alliance
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
Outdoor time for children benefits both physical and mental health: 🌱 Fosters curiosity, independence & creativity 🏃‍♂️ Promotes movement & physical health www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/202...
washingtonpost.com
How time in nature builds happier, healthier and more social children
You don’t need to visit a national park — a simple walk around the neighborhood will do.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
"Are city streets places for pedestrians to hang out, or are they routes to be traversed as quickly as possible?" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
What Happened to Hanging Out on the Street?
Urban pedestrians are walking faster and doing less socializing, according to a new study of NYC, Boston and Philadelphia. Is technology to blame, or public space itself?
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
“We need to think about big cars in the same way that we think about cigarettes: Affecting not just the user, but everyone around the user.” - Robert Proctor www.vox.com/future-perfe...
vox.com
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?
The anti-tobacco playbook could help turn the US public against their beloved oversized cars.
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Gerben Helleman @gerbenhelleman.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Let's play and connect! Here is a starter pack for knowledge exchange between everyone interested in children's #outdoorplay in #publicspaces. Including @alisonstenning.bsky.social, @aplayfulcity.bsky.social, @makespaceforgirls.bsky.social, etc Let me know if I'm missing anyone. go.bsky.app/QY6MWe8
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
A lambastinly good tongue in cheek video essay critique of the (alpha) "alpha bro doomsday vehicle" / "meme" from Adam Something is worth the watch... www.youtube.com/watch?si=MWg...
youtube.com
Tesla Cybertruck: A Tragedy On Four Wheels
YouTube video by Adam Something
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
"Importantly, risk is not the same as danger. Danger is something a child isn’t equipped to notice or deal with... Risk changes with age & doesn’t always include things that look risky to adults." www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Why kids need to take more risks: science reveals the benefits of wild, free play
Studies reveal how risky play can benefit child development. But encouraging it can be a challenge for parents.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
To make our public spaces more family-friendly, we need some clear changes in how we design our communities and how we think about children in public. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Burned-Out Parents Need Better Public Spaces
To ease the burden on families, we need places to let the kids roam free.
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
"Creating Health & Wellbeing" A guide for local authorities linking between planning, design & public health. Advocating a shift from treating illness to fostering health through evidence-led planning & design in cities, towns & villages by addressing health inequalities proactively. 🧵1 of 2
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
🎉 2024 marked the 1st 🇺🇳 UN International Day of Play on June 11! A Playful City's Playful Streets were 1 of 4 projects as part of the International Day of Play Community Fund to invite communities across the world to host Playful Streets in their communities. www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2u6... 🧵
youtube.com
Introducing International Day of Play!
YouTube video by LEGO
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Pádraig McEvoy @padraigmcevoy.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Retail boss reports buoyant Christmas trade in Dublin City Centre. A short 🧵 (journey) back through news headlines from 2024 ... www.businesspost.ie/news/electri...
businesspost.ie
‘Electric’: Brown Thomas Arnotts’ boss hails strong Christmas
Donald McDonald says sales up 5% in store and 20% online in December – ahead of expectations
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A Playful City @aplayfulcity.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
The threshold effect of car dependency: "using a car just sometimes increases life satisfaction but if you have to drive much more than this people start reporting lower levels of happiness... to the point that the downsides outweigh the benefits.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...
theguardian.com
How extreme car dependency is driving Americans to unhappiness
A car is often essential in the US but while owning a vehicle is better than not for life satisfaction, a study has found, having to drive too much sends happiness plummeting
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