Before CA decides on any course of action, I hope they ask some basic questions. For instance, “What is the minimum standard for the number of playgrounds in a healthy neighborhood? “ I have done some research on this topic and have found two standards. The first standard comes from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) . In a paper issued on combating childhood obesity, the CDC states that playgrounds should be placed no farther than ½ mile from the furthest house (PDF, page 46). The second standard comes from New York City and their PlaNYC master plan. This report states that all children in the city will live within a ten minute walk of a playground. Although these standards are expressed in different terms (time v. distance), they are somewhat coincident. All but the smallest of school age children should be able to cover a half mile in about ten minutes.
So does Columbia meet these standards? Yes and no. In most parts of Columbia, tot lots are spaced less than ½ mile apart. However, there are certain parts of Columbia, like downtown Columbia and Fairway Hills, that do not have any tot lots at all. It is important to note that this does not mean these areas are devoid of play equipment. Others may have stepped in where CA has not provided this amenity, but what does it say to those parents and children of entire Columbia neighborhoods?
View Columbia Tot Lots in a larger map
View Columbia Tot Lots in a larger map
Another element of tot lots that needs to be examined is, “what type of equipment is at the tot lots?” At the beginning, Columbia invested in playgrounds. At the time, a significant portion of playground equipment was manufactured of tubular steel – monkey bars, jungle gyms, slides that reflected brightly in the sun. Howard Research and Development instead went with a startup company known as Timberform. These playground structures featured wood timber construction and were not only fun to play on, they made a statement. In a small way, much like the community mailboxes and little blue street signs, they said that Columbia was different. They were elaborate too. One of the tot lots I frequented as a young boy is in Running Brook. That tot lot had three swings on a fifteen foot A-frame, two Timberform teepees, a “fort” with Timberform logs as steps, The fort had a slide and two rope swings. There were a few springy animal things, a platform mounted on springs, and a sandbox. What not to love?
Today, that same tot lot has two swings mounted on an eight-foot frame, a single slide, sandbox, and the springy animals. The teepees are gone, the fort is gone. The ropes are gone. It is a decidedly low-key replacement compared to the original. Think about it. If your child went to play at the tot lot, he/she could not swing with a friend on the current swing set. They would have to take turns. That has been the trend in Columbia. What was once exciting and unique gets replaced with a modest representation of the original. The company that makes Timberform is still in business, and although they do not make the wooden structures of yesterday, they make plenty of interesting designs that would fit well on many current tot lot sites. It is also interesting to note that although Columbia’s tot lots have not evolved much over the years, Columbia Cascade, the company that makes Timberform playgrounds, also manufactures fitness equipment and street furniture that have made their way onto CA open space. Clearly this vendor account is active.
If you have read this far, I congratulate you. Up to here, this has been a very long and wordy preamble to the crucial question for CA – What should the Columbia Association do? The answer lies in more of a process than a direct answer.
First, CA needs to assess their tot lot inventory. As we have shown here, Columbia is pretty close to (and probably a lot closer than many other cities) to meeting the playground standards put forth by the CDC and PlaNYC. Second, use this information to find the “holes” in adequate playground coverage and perform a cost benefit analysis of providing additional playgrounds. Such analysis should include the number of households impacted and the existence of other public playground equipment in the area. The next step would be to determine if there are any tot lots that meet the CDC standard (1/2 mile radius) but do not meet the PlaNYC standard (10 minute walk). If these exist, determine and implement methods to ensure both standards are met.
CA should also engage young families in the community to determine what barriers exist for tot lots in their neighborhood. In the 1970’s, tot lots in a wooded setting were seen as a positive and “getting close to nature.” That may not be the opinion of families today. What are the barriers to access for supervised play? Unsupervised play? Are conditions at each tot lot site pleasing? What features that parents have seen at other playgrounds are missing from their local tot lots?
After this is completed, and I can’t stress this enough, tell the world about how we approach playgrounds in Columbia. Have CA staff submit papers to the major playground and open space conferences. Engage those that are leading the fight to combat childhood obesity and show how CA is doing its part. Invite First Lady Michelle Obama to tour the playgrounds as part of her “Let’s Move” initiative. Show the world how it can be done. Be a little proud.
In the second phase of this process, CA should take a critical eye toward those areas that have substantial overlap of tot lots. In this process, it may be determined that a few tot lots may be removed.
Lastly, CA needs to institute a program to begin replacing tot lot equipment in an effort to return excitement surrounding the playground. As stated before, those residents that first arrived in Columbia received a number of visual cues throughout their neighborhoods that Columbia was both different and better. Long before tree saplings matured or grass grew, the cul-de-sacs, community mailboxes, blue street signs and tot lots gave those early adopters cues that the neighborhood somehow mattered. Of these four mentioned, CA has control over only one – the tot lots. The interesting thing is, as (most) trees mature (curse you, sweetgum trees and your spiky gumball seeds), they appreciate in value to the neighborhood. On the other hand, as infrastructure (such as community mailboxes or tot lots) matures, it depreciates. Many communities embraced the unique Timberform playground designs during the 1970’s and 1980’s. From New York to California, these same communities are replacing this equipment with modern equivalents. It’s time for CA to recommit to this piece of aging infrastructure and do it right.
CA needs to do more than a checklist (slide - check, swings – check, springy animal thing – check). Bring the site alive again. If we expect a family and/or child to walk a 1/2 mile to the tot lot, make the destination worth the ten minute walk. Seek out metrics to assess the amount of active play associated with the playground equipment. The amount of perceived risk (and hey risk management folks, we are talking perceived risk, not actual danger – perceived risk, as an example, a balance beam) the equipment presents. Return a sense of wonder. Once constructed, have a ribbon cutting, invite the village boards and PTA, hand deliver invitations (or at least mail them) to residents within that ½ mile radius. Give everyone in attendance a plank, inscribed with the date of commissioning. Those will serve as reminders of when CA invested in the neighborhood.
It is time once again to demonstrate that distributed, local infrastructure matters. Return those visual cues that demonstrate that Columbia is different and better…Isn’t it? hocoblogs@@@