September Playgrounds Town Hall
Letters To The Editor
"In what areas of the profession should LASN increase or decrease its editorial coverage?"
"Preservation of U.S. National Parks, regional parks, wildlife corridors, wind and solar farms, preservation of clean water, land banks, etc." - Karen T., PLA, Florida
Playgrounds Survey:
"How do you incorporate community input into your playground design process? Has there been a time when it surprised you?"
"We held a children's workshop and had the kids design the playground themselves. We got interesting ideas about earth mounds, using logs on the ground for balancing on instead of manufactured features. We got input on not having sound features, in that they create discord on the playing field. The kids like hiding spots so they can play hide-and-seek on the structures. They also like shade on play structures, because [the shade structures] often heat up and burn users." Anonymous PLA, Michigan
"A recent group of after-school program children surprised me by nearly unanimously selecting a really bright pink and magenta color palette." Anonymous PLA
"How do long-term maintenance realities shape your playground design decisions, and what design strategies have proven most durable over time?"
"We try to incorporate equipment and elements that either require low maintenance or are easily repaired with off-the-shelf parts." - Kristopher K., PLA, New Jersey
"We seek to use manufacturers with high grades of paint finish and mechanical performance, and support staff from vendors that will treat our clients well and be prompt with repair needs (parts and service) with good communication over time." - Mark K., PLA, Iowa
"Some of the most durable strategies have been investing in high-quality equipment, designing drainage correctly from the start, using materials that weather gracefully, and avoiding unnecessary complexity." - Jeremy P., PLA, Colorado
"A fairly recent incident frustrated me where all of the integrated and carefully selected plants (edible, safe, touch, etc.) were removed from the project in the name of maintenance. Worse yet, PIP of a new color was used to replace all the mulch areas." - Anonymous PLA
"How do you navigate meeting safety standards while creating playgrounds that offer genuine risk, challenge, and developmental value?"
"My go-to for providing risky play opportunities within a playscape is to use height and climbing. By combining fully enclosed bridges with spatial netting, children can easily control the level of risk they are willing to take, using their bodies as their guide." - Tiffany T., Massachusetts
"What discussions does the profession need to be having in the recreation/playground sector?"
"How to teach owners about the benefits of risk in playgrounds for children and what their responsibilities are for the risk involved. Most owners refuse to accept any risk or responsibilities with playground equipment anymore." - Anonymous PLA, Michigan
"Providing the appearance of more challenging and scary play equipment while still maintaining overall safety. Boring and safe are ultimately just boring; kids lose interest and that kind of equipment gets destroyed." Anonymous PLA, Washington
"We need to educate moms and dads that play experiences that are best for children involve social and physical risk. Something similar to what it took to develop the ADA for access for all needs to happen in order to set acceptable levels of risk and what materials are needed to provide that experience." - Bob D., PLA, Texas
"I believe there needs to be a stronger or bigger emphasis on renewable or sustainable materials being used in playground equipment. In general, playgrounds are designed to last only about 15-20 years before they can be expected to be replaced. That creates a great deal of waste. If planned better, this waste could be more reusable to continue being useful even after it has out-served its purpose as play equipment." - Tiffany T., Massachusetts
"Landscape Architects provide valuable expertise in the industry with regard to multi-generational community placemaking and sustainability. We often think of children as the exclusive end-users of the playgrounds, but this is not the case. Families bring children to playgrounds, and they need to feel comfortable and welcomed in the space. They should be able to join in the play, but they should also have their own things to do to maintain healthy strength and cardio fitness. Incorporating play with fitness using sustainable and durable materials is worth our time and effort, and a benefit for all." - Suzanne Q., Ph.D., Texas
"We feel that the playground equipment suppliers have trended too far into design as part of their 'free services' and the result is that many playgrounds are simply rectangular play surfaces with equipment plucked from the catalog and dropped onto the space. This 'cookie-cutter' design process has led to dreary playground environments with little originality or relationship with the parks they are supposed to enhance." - Mark K., PLA, Iowa
"I think finding ways to reduce the cost of inclusive components would be great. It's clear there is demand for those items [...] but they tend to blow up the cost of new playgrounds. [...] I would also love to see more data from the playground companies around actual use of their components (or maybe from an unbiased source). As a parent of 3, I am well aware of which components get used heavily when we attend parks, and it frustrates me when I see the unpopular components being pushed by the vendors." - Anonymous, California
As seen in LASN magazine, August 2026.
