How does your favourite place in the city look like? What do you particularly like about playgrounds? How would you like to improve playgrounds and what can you do if other children have different opinions and ideas to yours? And what does participation mean in this context?

We explored these exciting questions in a workshop titled “My city, your city, our city – Why parks have playgrounds and why playgrounds have slides”. The Urban Studies Working Group designed and organized this workshop for young urban researchers aged 7 to 9 years. It took place on 18^th July 2024 as part of the children’s university of the University of Vienna, which focused this year on the theme of participation.

Together with 16 participating children, we explored what participation means and what a participation process in urban planning can look like. Using the example of the re-design of a playground, the children were able to playfully experience how important their opinions and ideas are, but also how diverse and sometimes contradicting they can be. They discussed what is important to them in the design of parks and playgrounds, who else uses these spaces and which needs should be considered when planning spaces for different target groups.

A central theme was the complexity of making decisions together. The children learnt that decision-making processes often involve discussions and compromises, which are necessary to meet the needs of diverse users.

At the end of the workshop, the children crafted their dream playgrounds by making models or drawing. Their personal ideas for playground equipment were very diverse and creative, however, all the children agreed on a few key points: Playgrounds need more trees, more shade, access to water and opportunities to sit and rest.

Modeling ideal playgrounds (Photos: Kerstin Krellenberg)

Sophie Gnadenberger, Julia Wesely und Kerstin Krellenberg