Plan for Play in public spaces, 2030 horizon in Barcelona In collaboration with: 1 Table of contents 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 3 2. PROCESS OF DRAFTING THE CROSS-CUTTING, PARTICIPATORY PLAN ........................................ 6 3. FRAMEWORKS AND REASONS .................................................................................................. 11 3.1 FRAMEwORKS: LEGISLATION, COMMITMENTS, PLANS AND STRATEGIES ............................................................ 11 3.2 REASONS: WHY AN OUTDOOR PLAY PLAN FOR THE CITY OF BARCELONA? ............................................... 15 4. PARADIGM SHIFT: 3 LAYERS AND 7 CRITERIA FOR A PLAYABLE CITY ........................................ 21 4.1 THE COLLECTIVE BENEFITS OF PLAY ..................................................................................................................... 21 4.2 THE 3 LAYERS FOR RETHINKING AND PROMOTING MORE AND BETTER PLAY OPPORTUNITIES IN PUBLIC SPACES 22 4.3 QUALITY CRITERIA FOR MOVING TOWARDS A PLAYABLE CITY ............................................................................. 24 5. DIAGNOSIS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAY IN BARCELONA’S PUBLIC SPACES .................... 29 5.1 THE PLAYFUL INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................................................... 30 5.2 PLAYFUL USES OF PUBLIC SPACE ........................................................................................................................... 51 5.3 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 59 6. 2030 HORIZON AND TARGETS: BARCELONA A PLAYABLE CITY ................................................. 62 6.1 HORIZON 2030 ........................................................................................................................ 62 6.2 Key milestones of the 2030 Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..64 7. OPERATIONAL CONTENTS OF THE PLAN ................................................................................... 68 7.1 STRATEGIC LINES .................................................................................................................................................. 68 7.2 GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAY PLAN ............................................................................................................. 69 7.3 PUBLIC SPACE PLAY PLAN ACTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 70 7.4 LEAD PROJECTS .................................................................................................................................................... 92 7.5 ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR THE LEAD PROJECTS AND ACHIEVING THE TARGETS .................................................... 122 8. GOVERNANCE, MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE PLAN .............................................. 125 8.1 GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................................................... 125 8.2 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ....................................................................................................................... 128 9. SCHEDULE .............................................................................................................................. 129 10. BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 134 2 1. Introduction The Barcelona Public Space Play Plan Horizon 2030 is the city’s first such plan, a pioneering roadmap that puts outdoor play and physical activity among the key polices for creating a more habitable city and improving the well-being, health and community life of its residents, starting with children and teenagers. As envisaged, and on the foundations laid by the Barcelona plays things right Strategy: towards a public space play policy (presented at the Full Council meeting in February 2018), this Plan has been drawn up in a year with a cross-cutting, participatory approach. Its purpose is to improve and diversify the opportunities for play and physical activity in public spaces because of its ample benefits for the development and well-being of children and adolescents, as well as the health and social life of all citizens. The Plan is also based on the premise that an urban environment that is more suitable for growing up and spending childhood in is a better city for everyone. Drafting the Play Plan, coordinated by the Barcelona Institute of Childhood and Adolescence, has involved 400 people, including council staff, experts, social entities and ordinary citizens, both children and adults. The initial diagnoses have produced new data and knowledge and 2030 has been agreed as the target date for achieving the playable city model, with 3 core strategies, 14 objectives and 10 measurable targets. Criteria based on international benchmarks have been established for Barcelona, in order to start making the changes operational, and over 60 specific actions have been identified and planned involving many city services and players. A start has already been made on some of these in certain neighbourhoods which can be scaled up to a city level and others are set to get under way. Obviously, the Public Space Plan is not starting from nothing. It catalyses lines of action by giving shape to various aspects of other municipal plans and strategies, such as those on greenery and sustainability, the climate, urban planning for gender and everyday life, universal accessibility or sports facilities, as well as childhood, adolescence and ageing. Moreover, the Plan contributes to achieving the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals for making cities safer, more inclusive and more resilient by adapting public spaces so they are more suited to social groups with less presence there. In other words, the Plan adds a playability layer to a city model that is committed to greening, sustainability and climate change mitigation; to calming city streets and reclaiming them as places for people to meet in their leisure time; to being an educating city, with healthy neighbourhoods and more inclusive environments that encompass age, gender, background and functional diversity. The Public Space Play Plan is the result of answering some important questions for improving the everyday life of city residents: what does Barcelona’s urban environment offer for outdoor play and physical activity, thinking about children first of all but also adolescents, young adults, grown-ups and elderly people? What interventions could be promoted and boosted to encourage this playful and physical activity alongside other citizen uses of public spaces? What aspects of the urban model do we need to rethink if we want to diversify and improve the playful infrastructure, going beyond the standard playgrounds and play areas? 3 The Play Plan has enabled the city to start answering these questions, which are relevant to the City Council’s commitment and obligation to make progress on the rights of children and adolescents, bearing in mind the Child-Friendly City seal of recognition it received in 2008, renewed in 2018. Henceforth, Barcelona City Council will be held accountable – under the requirements that the United Nations imposes on public authorities by means of the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comments on the right to play – for protecting, respecting and promoting the human right of children and adolescents to play and leisure (recognised under Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child). In fact, 4 out of 10 Barcelona residents have a direct interest in the well-being of children and adolescents in the city (because 15% are minors and 23% are adults who live with and look after them). Moreover, we know that people’s experiences in this stage of their lives determine the paths they take in the future, as well as social cohesion in the city. Therefore, the more creative, diverse, free, inclusive and shared play they take part in when they are young, the greater will be their independence, resilience, social skills and physical and mental health later in life. Given this approach and commitment, Barcelona City Council has taken a qualitative step towards a public space play policy that is based on a comprehensive, cross-cutting view and combines urban planning actions (ranging from micro-interventions and tactical planning to major urban development projects) and social actions (from touring animation initiatives to new public service concepts) in order to move forward as a playable city and a city that people play in. Thus, the three core strategies that the Plan is organised around aim to improve and diversify playful infrastructure in the city’s urban model, as well as stimulate outdoor playful and physical activity among everyone from 0 to 99 by reversing the play deficit and, finally, reinforce the social importance we attach to play. We wish to emphasise the starting point of the Plan is to promote the exercise of the right of children and adolescents to play. However, it is also conceived to ensure young people find more attractive possibilities for doing physical and playful activity and getting together in public spaces, and so adults and elderly people regain a taste for play and sharing time and places for intergenerational play. Promoting active, everyday playful habits which give rise to social life and help to transform the social setting is an opportunity for reversing social problems such as sedentary lifestyles, child obesity, screen addiction, a lack of autonomy or independence, individualisation and social isolation, or the lack of contact with nature and green spaces, the high level of environmental pollution and road accident rates. Taking into account a city which is lived and built from a perspective of play, and the benefits of this, enables us to focus on often forgotten everyday needs such as playing, doing sport and getting together in public spaces. At the same time, it helps to drive specific improvements in the urban environment, making it greener, safer and calmer so it creates more and better opportunities for play which, in turn, generates social life on the streets. In this task of rethinking opportunities for outdoor play, the Plan provides new useful categories for going beyond playgrounds and play areas and including in the planning and analysis the city, based on the concepts of playful space, playful ecosystems and playful infrastructure. It also considers school playgrounds and school surroundings as part of this playful infrastructure in the city. 4 This Plan highlights the vital, human, everyday need to play and its capacity for transforming the city through the sum of many small actions that impact on the well-being, health and social life of its residents. And it does so by responding to the demands of children and adolescents themselves, as well as those of educational leisure associations and the educational innovation and renovation sector which, historically, have asserted the significance of play and the importance of having time and suitable places for it. Likewise, residents’ associations have also linked demands for dignifying public spaces to the need for places to play and meet socially in the neighbourhoods. Finally, it is envisaged that the City Council will work on this through its various service teams and district plans and actions in order to promote and develop this Play Plan to the maximum. However, decisive progress towards a more playablecity and one where people play requires co-responsibility. Apart from the local authority, it calls on other players to develop affinities and change their habits and priorities, ranging from social bodies to commercial enterprises, as well as educational and health professionals, even the general public, and especially adults. 5 2. Process of drafting the cross-cutting, participatory plan The Public Space Plan is based on and is one of the main measures envisaged in the Barcelona plays things right Strategy, presented at the Full City Council meeting in February 2018. This is a joint initiative of two City Council areas – Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility, and Social Rights – working together on it, listening to social entities and the public – children, adolescents and grown-ups – in 24 face-to-face working sessions involving over 400 people between March and December 2018. The Plan is based on an agreed time-frame and criteria for the paradigm shift while also taking technical feasibility into account. The Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents, as the City Council’s instrumental body, was the one responsible for politically and technically coordinating the process, as well as preparing the draft, where a cross-departmental approach and public participation were key in providing the knowledge to ensure the rigour and quality of the contents. A participatory process: political, technical and public spheres The Plan’s premise is the need to rethink the places and opportunities for play that the city offers all its citizens, especially children and adolescents, for diverse and inclusive play and physical activity outdoors, thus helping to improve community life. This reflection was the result of participation designed to gather the various views in the city on outdoor play and physical activity. The process was enriched by the experience of various players, so the resulting plan takes into account the different needs expressed on outdoor play. The participatory process for drawing up the Public Space Play Plan was designed according to the guidelines set out in the new Citizen Participation Regulation (October 2017). As laid down in the regulation, a participatory process monitoring committee was set up to monitor the drafting of the Plan comprising six of the city’s social entities. The work carried out encompasses the political, technical and public spheres. Political sphere: In the political sphere a reference forum was set up comprising the political heads of the government team (council executive) jointly led by two deputy mayor’s offices and including the commissioners of the main local policies involved: • Deputy Mayor’s Office for Social Rights • Deputy Mayor's Office for Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility • Commissioner for Ecology • Commissioner for Education, Childhood and Youth • Commissioner for Health and Functional Diversity • Commissioner for Sport Two presentation and working sessions were also held with representatives of the municipal political groups with City Council representation in order to present the time-frame (horizon), process and contents of the Plan. 6 Technical sphere: The technical work of municipal staff was done in five sessions covering two dimensions: one with heads of the different City Council areas and institutes involved and the other with the district technical representatives.  Initial exploratory sessions: with two objectives: 1) to present the conceptual framework of the Play Plan and 2) to start identifying the key factors to be taken into account. Some 70 service, area and district staff took part in the two sessions held. Technical evaluation sessions: these sessions, involving some 60 professionals, were held with the aim of measuring the feasibility and interest of the various action proposals gradually shaping the Plan’s operational content. o Session with the Municipal Institute for Persons with Disabilities and the Citizen Agreement for an Inclusive Barcelona’s Independent Living and Accessibility Network. o Session with educators from Municipal Children’s Leisure and Play Centres. o Session with city district technical managers. Public sphere: The process in the public sphere sought the participation of entities involved in the city’s participatory bodies, and social organisations, businesses and reference persons linked to the play sphere and the various uses of public space, as well as individual citizens, both children and adults. Half the working sessions of the entire process were in this sphere (11 out of 24). Initial exploratory session: Involving some 30 representatives of social entities in the city and experts, with two objectives: 1) to present the conceptual framework of the Play Plan and 2) to start identifying the key factors to be taken into account. Sessions for constructing the desired time-frame to 2030: The aspects to be considered served as the starting point for constructing the time-frame and doing it jointly in four working sessions involving the various consultative bodies in the city most closely linked to the issues concerned, with some 50 people taking part. o Session with the Municipal Council for Social Welfare and the Citizen Agreement for an Inclusive Barcelona 7 o Session with the Municipal Sports Council o Session with the Municipal Schools' Council o Session with the Barcelona Youth Council Face-to-face theme-based sessions: with the aim of gathering ideas and possible actions, five sessions, each with a specific theme and open to the public, were organised. They attracted around 100 people with a variety of profiles and links to the subject area, which enriched the creative process and reflection on play in public spaces. Barcelona Decidim Platform: a two-month window gave anyone interested the chance to submit their suggestions to the digital participation platform but the level of contributions was very low. Children’s feedback: in order to get the benefit of children’s expertise on the lead projects, a working session was held with some 40 fifth- and sixth-year primary school students at Escola Pegaso. Also included were the reflections contributed by 200 children aged 10 to 14 from five schools and an educational recreation centre over the course of the Parc Central de Nou Barris and Parc de la Pegaso co-creation process. 8 A cross-cutting process: three municipal areas and the districts The complexity and scope of the Public Space Play Plan’s objectives required an integrated, cross-cutting working logic throughout the municipal organisation that incorporated a range of perspectives, both those of deputy mayor’s offices as well as departments and municipal institutes. Thus the process was led in a cross-cutting, cross-departmental fashion, on a political as well as a technical level. The political figures and bodies mentioned above and linked to the policies on green spaces, urban planning and mobility, social rights, health, functional diversity, sport, education and youth. On the technical side, a cross-sectoral committee was set up to draft the Public Space Play Plan comprising services from three areas – Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility, Social Rights, and Citizens' Rights, Participation and Transparency – and from the districts, all coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents. The Cross-sectoral Committee for Drafting the Public Space Play Plan, comprising 35 people had 5 meetings and served as the monitoring and technical validation forum for the process proposals and Plan contents, besides working on identifying players and actions to bear in mind and exploring synergies to give the Plan consistency and scope. This cross-cutting work made it possible to bring a range of expertise and perspectives together and to start from experiences already under way in the districts, which the Play Plan highlights, redirects and gives new meanings to or scales up to a city level. Public presentation at the Play and City Conference The Play and City Conference, held at the Barcelona Contemporary Culture Centre on 6 February 2019, opened a discussion on the social importance of play. It was also where the Public Space Play Plan was publicly presented to 400 people from various spheres and organisations: educators, architects, landscapers, companies making games and play equipment for playgrounds and play areas, and municipal technical staff from Barcelona and other cities. 9 Outline of the Public Space Play Plan drafting process Cross-cutting political guidance Deputy Mayor’s Office for Social Rights Deputy Mayor's Office for Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility Commissioner for Ecology Commissioner for Education, Childhood and Youth Commissioner for Health and Functional Diversity Commissioner for Sport Cross-cutting Play Plan drafting committee Dir. Urban Model, Dir. Environment and Urban Services, Dir. Conservation and Biodiversity, Dept. Urban Prospective, Dir. Communication and Participation Ecology, Dir. Communication Social Rights, Dir. Children, Youth and Elderly, Dir Community Action, Dir. Citizens' Rights and Diversity, Dir. Active Democracy, Districts, Dept. Gender Mainstreaming, municipal institutes: IMPJ, IBE, IMPD, IMSS, IMEB, ASPB, BR, IIAB Sessions for jointly Technical Political Barcelona Initial constructing the Public evaluation evaluation plays things exploratory desired scenario evaluation sessions sessions right sessions to sessions September- July Strategy March-May consultative December 2018 February 2018 and October- January November 2018 2018 2018 participatory 2019 bodies June- September an d Public Space Play Plan participatory process monitoring committee Formed by people from social entities Play and City Conference Presentation of the Public Space Play Plan 6 February 2019 10 Municipal areas and institutes Districts Social entities and experts Municipal Social Welfare Council and CMituizneinci pAaglr eSpemoretsn t Council Municipal Schools' Council Barcelona Youth Council 5 F2F theme-based sessions Sessions with children Decidim Sant Andreu Neighbourhood Council monitoring session Indústria Gardens information session Districts Professional children's play centre Accessibility and Independent Living Network Municipal political groups 3. Frameworks and reasons 3.1 Frameworks: legislation, commitment, plans and strategies The Public Space Play Plan - Horizon 2030 arose from the need to establish a new vision of play in the city and interacts with a number of earlier frameworks, which are realised in one way or another or which it helps to catalyse. The various frameworks it intersects with, whether legislation, commitments, plans or strategies, Catalan or international, are explained below. 3.1.1 Starting point Barcelona Plays Things Right Strategy The Barcelona Plays Things Right Strategy: towards a public space play policy was presented as a government measure at the Full City Council meeting on 23 February 2018. Its purpose is to compile actions that have already been, or are scheduled to be implemented before the end of the term of office in six lines of action. These include producing a Barcelona Public Space Play Plan as an instrument for identifying the core strategies and objectives, and for planning actions in the short, medium and long term to move towards a play policy in public spaces. 3.1.2 International agenda and legislative framework The Play Plan is part of and takes into account both international and Catalan agendas and benchmark legislation. UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals As regards the political agenda, in the international sphere the Plan contributes towards progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the international community at the United Nations. There are 17 SDGs and the Play Plan works on Goal 11, which is for cities and human settlements to be inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and, especially, on the target: “By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities” (11.7). And, in relation to actions linked to schools working for the goal of “building and adapting school facilities so they meet the needs of children and persons with disabilities, take into account gender issues, and offer safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for everyone” (Quality education 4.7a). 11 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child With regard to international treaties, this Plan is a specific application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31: “...the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and playful activities appropriate to [their] age and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts” (Art. 31.1). Likewise, all levels of government in States Parties “shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreationa and leisure activity” (Art. 31.2). The Plan’s focus and specifications are strongly inspired by and take into account the interpretation and recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its General Comment N. 17 (2013) which spells out the conditions for the gradual fulfilment of the right to play and leisure embodied in Article 31. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities With regard to children’s participation in cultural life, recreational and leisure activities and sport, Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities establishes that public authorities “must ensure that children with disabilities have equal access with other children to participation in play, recreation and leisure and sports activities, including those activities in the school system”. European Charter for Safeguarding Human Rights in the City The Plan also respects the European Charter for Safeguarding Human Rights in the City, which establishes that “local authorities shall guarantee quality leisure spaces for all children without discrimination” (Art XXI.2).and also that “administrations have to encourage physical and sports activities as a healthy habit” (Article 58.4). Catalan Rights and Opportunities in Childhood and Adolescence Act The paradigm shift with regard to citizenship and the human rights of minors, which the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child) represented, is reflected in the Catalan Rights and Opportunities in Childhood and Adolescence Act (14/2010 – LDOIA). This establishes that “children and adolescents have a right to move around in, enjoy and socially develop in their own urban environments”, that “ the public authorities must enable the development and autonomy of children and adolescents in a safe environment”, and that “municipal urban planning must plan and shape public spaces taking into account the perspective and needs of children and adolescents” (Art. 55). As regards areas for recreation and play, the LDOIA envisages that “urban planning must provide for suitable public playful areas and spaces so children and adolescents can enjoy play and leisure there (...), taking into account the diversity of play and leisure needs in the child and adolescent age groups. When designing and deciding the layout of these spaces, local councils must listen to the opinion and enable the active participation of children and adolescents”(Art. 56). Finally, it should be pointed out that the LDOIA specifies that “there has to be a guarantee that children and adolescents who have a physical, psychological or sensory disability can access public playful areas and spaces and enjoy them, in accordance with current legislation on accessibility and the removal of architectural barriers.” (Art. 56). 12 3.1.3 City commitments, plans and strategies interlinked with the Play Plan: a plan that catalyses The cross-cutting nature of the Plan means it is essential to bear in mind strategies, plans and commitments on various matters. At the same time, the Plan itself envisages actions that reinforce and contribute to achieving two city strategies, five plans, two city and two district government measures, and a citizen commitment that are specified below: Barcelona Strategy for Inclusion and Reducing Social Inequalities 2017-2027 This is a working framework shared between the City Council and social entities for reducing social inequalities and there is a link with the Play Plan in “promoting and ensuring equal, universal access to leisure, cultural, sports and play activities, especially among children and teenagers (Goal 2.6). Also with regard to the goal of “ensuring the city is a living space by offering public spaces and facilities with diverse uses that encourage relations with others, as well as positive community life and intergenerational and intercultural relations” (Goal 3.6). Citizen Commitment to Sustainability 2012-2022 This social agreement is spelt out in Barcelona’s Agenda 21 with 10 goals and the Play Plan contributes specifically to Goal 2: “Public space and mobility: from the street for traffic to the street for living in” and the specific action line that proposes reclaiming the streets for people, generating a welcoming, traffic-calmed space, encouraging a culture of shared public space and promoting and prioritising life on the streets as places for people to meet, spend time together and play. Barcelona Green and Biodiversity Plan 2012-2020 This defines the challenges, goals and actions with regard to conserving green spaces and biodiversity and how the city’s population is aware of them, enjoys them and takes care of them. Its five goals includes Strategic Line 9: “fostering green spaces as places for health and enjoyment as well as promoting citizen involvement in their creation and in the conservation of biodiversity”. Among others, this line of action includes two of the main ones that the Public Space Play Plan responds to: “Improve and diversify children’s play areas by involving schools, associations and the community” (9.3) and “Increase and improve the number of playful and health facilities offered in parks” (9.2). Climate Plan 2018-2030 This plan compiles a series of action to achieve three goals: reduce CO2 emissions by 45%, increase urban green spaces by 1.6 km2 and reduce water consumption to less than 100 litres per inhabitant per day. It also responds to the commitment the city assumed by signing the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Its Action Line 3 on preventing warming includes actions such as prioritising cooling actions, generating more shaded areas or creating water gardens (accessible fountains, lakes, swimming pools, etc.) that are included in the Play Plan. Child and Citizen Focus 2017-2020. Plan for growing up and living childhood and adolescence in Barcelona This is the framework for planning and mainstreaming the main policies that affect children and adolescents in Barcelona. “Participation in social and community life. Participation rights” includes Challenge 9, which says “Provide more and better opportunities for playful and inclusive play in public spaces”. It also includes the playable city measure. 13 Adolescence and Youth Plan 2017-2021 This plan seeks to guarantee all the rights of young people, making adolescents and young people the protagonists of their own lives and players in social change. The main goals that coalesce with the Play Plan are to: Promote diversity in physical and sports activity with regard to both the types of activity and profiles of young people (Strategic Line 3.2). Facilitate and legitimise the use of public space by young people, and foster the co-design and co-management of public spaces and facilities with the participation of young people (Strategic Line 4.3). Guarantee and Improve the Influence of Grassroot Educational Associations in the City. One of the main aims of this government measure (May 2018) is to facilitate the presence in and use of public spaces by educational associations, and specifically includes as one of it actions “to incorporate steps promoted by and called for by leisure education entities in the Public Space Play Plan, such as facilitating playful use of streets, squares and parks close to their premises” (Action 20). Demographic Change and Ageing Strategy: a city for every cycle of life 2018-2030 This government measure is designed to address the demographic change that is affecting every sphere of life and people’s life cycles and explicitly refers to the Play Plan: “Foster an intergenerational perspective in children’s play in the city. Monitor the Public Space Play Plan to ensure the intergenerational perspective is considered when designing play spaces in the city. Universal Accessibility Plan 2018-2026 The goal of this Plan is to put people first and ensure they can fully exercise their rights, irrespective of whether they have some kind of disability or functional diversity. Universal accessibility and universal design make it possible for everyone to live in the urban setting in equal conditions. The Plan provides for a line of analysis and proposals for public spaces, with a specific analysis of accessibility to play areas and green spaces and, more specifically, to carrying out a diagnosis of accessibility to public spaces in the city: streets, parks, children’s play parks and beaches (Goal 10). Gender Justice Plan 2016-2020 This is a tool for promoting equality between men and women and its goals that need highlighting include combating gender roles that affect women’s health; highlighting women and promoting their participation in sport; making progress on introducing a co-education model in the city’s schools; driving a city model that responds to the needs and experiences of everyday life, improving the perception of public safety and empowering women in public spaces. Urban Planning with a Gender Perspective This government measure includes a package of measures for integrating a gender perspective into all urban planning policies to achieve a fairer, more equal, safer city without barriers. With actions that include, for example, reviewing with a gender perspective the items that make up all the urban furniture installed in public spaces (benches, lamps, bins etc.) as well as their layout in the places where they are located, bearing in mind people’s needs, depending on the stage of the life cycle they are in. (Action 3.1.4) 14 Gràcia Squares, Public and Community Space This Gràcia district measure includes action to liven up the squares with playful-educational activities and the swap the leather ball for a foam ball programme in collaboration with local retailers, inspiring actions that can be scaled up to a city level. Let’s Fill School Surroundings with Life This Eixample district measure is a starting point for encouraging action required across the city, because it proposes improving school surroundings so they become habitable places, community spaces, an extension of the school and a place for play, greenery, and neighbourhood life and history. 3.2 Reasons: Why an outdoor play plan for the city of Barcelona? Four main reasons for the Public Space Play Plan In the context we have just outlined, the City Council has decided to construct policies around play in public spaces for four main reasons: 15 3.2.1 Because children have a right to play and leisure “Rest, play and leisure are just as important to a child’s development as nutrition, housing, health care and education” (General Comment No. 17 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child) As has been pointed out in the previous section, both international human rights law in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Catalan law in the LDOIA recognise the importance of play in the development of children and adolescents. And this is the reason why it has been recognised as a specific human right of this life stage since 1998. “Play has to be understood as an essential element in the growth and maturity of children and adolescents. (...) has to help psychomotor development at each developmental stage (LDOIA Art. 58.2) The right to play is often referred to as one of the forgotten rights of childhood, as it is undervalued in relation to others, despite the fact that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (GC No. 17/2013) reminds us of the importance of play in achieving the maximum development of children and adolescents. It also point out that “when there is investment in leisure, it usually goes to organised activities, but it is just as important to create spaces and times so children can devote themselves to exercising their right to spontaneous play, leisure and creativity, as well as promoting social attitudes that support and foster these activities.” Likewise, it warns of situations of poverty or inadequate living standards that can deprive children or condition the exercise of this right, so it needs to be taken into account in housing policies and policies on access to public spaces for children with fewer opportunities for play and leisure at home. As regards identifying the obstacles to moving forward on the right to play, the United Nations identifies the following nine aspects that pose social challenges around the world and need to be borne in mind: 1) Lack of awareness of the importance of the right to play and leisure time. 2) Unsuitable play environments, due to their insecurity. 3) Resistance to children using public space due to the growing commercialisation of public space and low tolerance of their presence. 4) Lack of diverse community spaces for play and leisure for all ages. 5) Imbalance between risk management and safety. 6) Lack of access to nature. 7) Demands of academic success. 8) Excessively structured and programmed timetables. 9) Disregard for the right to play in child development programmes. In order to promote the progressive exercise of the right to play, this United Nations Committee reminds us of the four governments obligations, including local governments, to: 16 1. Plan ideal environments, facilities and play and leisure spaces, bearing in mind the best interest of the child  Availability of parks, community centres, sports facilities and safe inclusive play areas accessible to all children and adolescents.  Creation of a safe living environment where children can play freely, designing areas that give priority to people who are playing, walking or riding a bike.  Access to green areas, big open spaces and nature for play and leisure, with safe, affordable and accessible transport.  Implementation of traffic-related measures such as speed limits, pollution levels, crossings near schools and so on to guarantee the right of children to play in their community without danger. 2. Pay special attention to girls, children in situations of poverty, boys and girls with a disability or in a minority. 3. Offer children and adolescents opportunities to participate and be heard so their opinions are taken into account in drawing up policies and strategies linked to play and leisure, creating parks and designing environments suitable for children. As well as moving forward on making children co-responsible. 4. Compile data, assess and carry out research on the range of public space uses in the everyday lives of children and adolescents in order to show how public authorities promote their rights as a whole. Guaranteeing the right to play means looking out for children’s well-being, an important issue for city residents because 4 out of 10 Barcelona residents have a direct interest in it, being children or adolescents themselves (15% of the population are aged 0 to 17) or because they live with and look after them (23% are adults with minors in their charge). Finally, children and adolescents themselves are concerned about the possibilities of playing in public spaces. This is shown through various participatory processes held in the city at different times and in different formats over many years. Examples include the Barcelona Children’s Public Hearing in 2001, the Barcelona`s Children Speak programme, Laia’s Speech at the St Eulalia festival and their participation in Child Focus. In all of these, they have expressed concerns and proposed improvements so the city might have an ideal and attractive environment for play. They have called for environmental improvements, including less traffic and more green spaces, as well as creating more pleasant and nicer neighbourhoods with wide streets and pavements or installing attractive play features different from the usual ones, plus more time to play and more possibilities to take part in designing the city. 17 3.2.2 Because play and physical activity improve everyone’s well-being and physical and mental health “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing” G.B. Shaw. Playing outdoors implies active play and doing a physical activity which stimulate motor skills and abilities that are essential for good physical development and also, implicitly, healthy psychological development, from both a personal and a social point of view. However, although play responds to a vital need in children to explore their environment and themselves (their body, their emotions and their limits), the situation in Barcelona is that 1 out of 4 children never play in the park or on the street, with a significant gender differential. Moreover, increasing obesity and overweight, which affect 3 out of 10 adolescents and are caused by screen addiction and sedentary lifestyles, among other factors, are growing problems in today’s society. The physical inactivity indexes in the city are very high and there are worse evaluations of the health of teenagers living in poor neighbourhoods compared to high-income neighbourhoods (FRESC-ASPB 2016). Thus, outdoor play is not just a response to children’s playful needs, it is also key for dealing with the challenges posed to physical health, with special emphasis on children living in low-income neighbourhoods and young and older girls. Another aspect that needs highlighting is the emotional well-being that play brings, especially when it is done with autonomy, in contact with nature and the outdoors, experimenting and learning from managing risks and controlling emotions. In that sense, not playing or not having the possibility to play different games affects skills such as emotional self-control or facing and taking decisions, resilience and personal autonomy. The play deficit, especially as regards free play, shared play and play with challenges, has negative consequences for well- being and mental health, no small matter if we take into account that 1 out of 10 adolescents in the city are highly likely to have mental health problems (FRESC_ASPB 2016). As the Barcelona Mental Health Plan notes (in its priority area of childhood and adolescence), good mental health during childhood helps the processes of learning, interpersonal and family relationships, achieving goals and the capacity to face life’s difficulties, including the transitions to adolescence and adult life. In addition, the lack of autonomy in childhood due to overprotective adults means less capacity for taking decisions, settling disputes and managing risks. Children themselves provide data in that respect when they say they are not really satisfied with the autonomy they have at home, at school or on the streets (EBSIB‐IIAB 2017). This loss of autonomy is linked to the limited leeway that adults give children to enable them to develop free, self- regulated play by themselves, thus restricting vital learning opportunities. What we call motor play in childhood becomes physical activity in adolescence, youth and adulthood. In Barcelona, 30% of the adult population do no physical activity, either outdoors or in sports facilities (EBSIB‐IIAB 2018), especially people on low incomes, women, over-65s and foreign nationals. As in the case of children, sedentary lifestyles are a reality among adults too and that has implications in terms of worse health and quality of life. The benefits that physical activity brings throughout our entire life cycle are clear but we must not forget that play also brings well-being and pleasure at any age. Playing allows adults to enjoy the moment and live in the present in the same way children do. It also means losing the fear of looking ridiculous, putting forgotten skills to the test or trying them out again, recalling and 18 recovering games shared in childhood. A playful attitude and a taste for play in young people, adults and elderly people helps them to tackle everyday situations in a positive spirit, which is so necessary for good mental health. Moreover, shared play develops links and affinities in a unique way in both adults and children. The value of shared play lies in the fact that it is a unique activity for sharing, one of the best forms of communication, a very special way of letting children know they are very important, because we share with them what they like and need most: to play. 3.2.3 Because play brings people together and community life is enriched “Children playing in the street is a good indicator of the quality of community life” Jan Gehl, urbanist Barcelona is a densely populated city where public space is scarce and too much is given over to motor vehicles (estimates put the figure at 60% of the urban environment), so what is left for pedestrians and citizen uses is limited and much less. These days, the social meeting function that streets have always had has very much been lost, having to a large extent and almost exclusively been replaced by the travel function, for both adults and children. In other words, there is not enough space and that needs to be improved so streets are suitable for people to meet and play. That is how the city’s 10 to 12 year-olds put it. They are not satisfied with the spaces for playing and enjoying themselves in their neighbourhood (EBSIB‐ IIAB 2017). The fact of having children playing on the streets not only has consequences for the play deficit children face, it also reduces the knock-on effect of encouraging social life around play. Because it is precisely when there are children playing in public spaces that they become places for informal gatherings, especially, but not only, of parents accompanying children but also of young and elderly people or other local residents. The conditions in the play setting also determine the time that adults stay and, therefore, the time children play, as well as whether people spend time and socially relate in a public space. Despite all the measures being adopted, urban planning in the city is still a long way from universal accessibility and there are few signs of a gender focus. Among other reasons, that is due to the lack of attention to everyday needs, with urban furniture and features that make public spaces habitable and encourage people to stay (lighting, benches, tables, play equipment, toilets, fountains and so on). Currently less than 1 in 10 recreation spaces in the city have table-tennis tables and only 8.5% of green spaces have public toilets. There are many ways of experiencing public spaces. Accompanying children playing on the streets is one, while doing physical activity or stopping to chat with neighbours are others. Community life in the city requires recognition of the various uses of public spaces but conflicting uses are a reality. To move forward, so these spaces do not exclude certain public activities or groups, we need to think about making play area settings more accessible, accommodating a social mix with people from different backgrounds and cultures in a city where practically 1 in 4 inhabitants was born in a foreign country (Idescat 2017). 19 To include the different groups in community life, we also need to put the emphasis on reducing the strong gender bias of urban spaces, as well as on the discomfort generated by the presence of young people in public spaces and which often leads to their expulsion. For that reason, we need to stress the importance of reclaiming public space as a place for people to relate and socialise, facilitating access to it and legitimising the uses adolescents and young people make of it, in harmony with the rest of the population. Public space has to be a space for relating and shared experiences that belongs to everyone, in all their diversity in terms of age, gender, social and cultural background and functional diversity. Finally, a greater presence of people and more life on the streets also increases the perception of public safety and helps to combat individualisation and social isolation, promote personal autonomy and foster intergenerational relations. 3.2.4 Because quality play environments help to green, calm and make the urban environment safer Barcelona is still a city that lacks urban green spaces, despite the efforts made in recent decades. Each city resident has 6.6 m2 of green space (not counting the Collserola hills) and, in the districts of Eixample and Gràcia, the figure is way below the city average (1.85 m2 and 3.15 m respectively). In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, Barcelona has made a commitment to increase green space by 1m2 per inhabitant by 2030. This green deficit aggravates a big problem the city faces, namely the alarmingly high level of environmental pollution, both air and acoustic, which makes people’s health worse, especially in the case of children and the elderly. Traffic in the city, where there are still too many private motor vehicles, has a very negative effect on the healthy development of city residents, decreases road safety and increases road accident rates. This situation also makes safe, independent children’s mobility as autonomous pedestrians more difficult and, at the same time, limits the public space available due to wheeled traffic and parking for private vehicles occupying road space. This applies to the whole city, but especially and worryingly around leisure spaces and schools, so the aim is to define the LDOIA’s provision regarding the obligation of local authorities to promote “safe access for children and adolescents to schools and other centres they frequent” (Art.55.5.c). The scant contact with green spaces and nature takes on special significance with regard to children’s play, as it reduces the possibilities for and benefits of play in natural surroundings. In that regard, half of all play areas and playgrounds are not in green spaces, so there is considerable room for improvement and a need to increase green spaces and natural surroundings, specifically and importantly, around play areas, playgrounds and leisure spaces, as well as school playgrounds and surroundings. In addition, moving towards a playable city implies securing more public space for play and improving it with diverse elimination measures, temporary road closures and traffic-calming, above all, around leisure spaces and school surroundings. 20 4. Paradigm shift: 3 layers and 7 criteria for a playable city The vision and goals for achieving the Play Plan mean a paradigm shift in the place given to outdoor play in the urban environment as a whole. Therefore, a conceptual framework has been created specifically for Barcelona, to rethink the outdoor playful opportunities. This framework is based, primarily, on the collective and interconnected benefits of play, not only for children but for all the city’s citizens, as well as for its potential to generate community life and provide an opportunity for improving the urban environment (see Section 3.2 for the reasons). Secondly, the conceptual framework builds a new category of city recreation infrastructure in three layers and, thirdly, it establishes quality criteria for play in order to guide space design and take a more playable city into account at the planning stage. Benefits of play Playful infrastructure 3 layers 7 quality criteria 4.1 The collective benefits of play “Play is the highest form of research” Albert Einstein Play is an end in itself for the pleasure it gives, a vital human need and a recognised right of children and adolescents because of its importance for their development. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child defines it as “any behaviour, activity or process started, controlled and structured by children themselves that can take place anywhere and when they have the opportunity”. Play, therefore, involves the exercise of autonomy and physical, mental and emotional energy, adopting infinite forms that adapt and change over the course of childhood and which can continue into and vary at all the stages of the life cycle. Playing is linked to fun, uncertainty, challenge, creativity, flexibility, freedom and non-productivity. All these factors together constitute the main reason why play is an activity which provokes 21 enjoyment and pleasure. It is a voluntary activity that responds to an intrinsic motivation and becomes an end in itself, so all the benefits that play brings are positive collateral effects that need to be fostered, but it is also very important to be clear that they are not the aim during play. We do not play to learn or because it is healthy, but to have a good time. There are social and emotional skills that are vital for life which are better learnt playing because play is experienced in the body and through emotions and play means action, experience, involvement and participation, which are key strategies for meaningful learning. Playing is a very serious activity, even though it takes place above all in a fictional framework, where people concentrate to put into practice all their abilities and resources to achieve the objective set. In other words, it implies accepting and overcoming challenges. While playing, people voluntarily put into action their capacity to conquer and excel,accepting not only success but also failure, which is key to developing confidence and self-esteem and managing frustration. Adults have a vital role in guaranteeing the right to free, stimulating, creative and positive play by putting various quality spaces, free time, materials and friends at children’s disposal and letting them play. However, in general, adults who look after children and adolescents do not always play a positive role in encouraging play, for three main reasons, among others. One is because they organise a daily agenda for their child or adolescent that is packed with activities and obligations that leave very little free time for them to organise themselves. A second is their aversion to risk, which leads them to be over-protective, giving children little or no scope for facing challenges and managing risks, and the third is because they do not vary the types of games enough, thus reducing the range of play experiences. 4.2 The 3 layers for rethinking and promoting more and better play opportunities in public spaces “We have to accept that the most suitable places for playing are the real spaces in the city: steps, building courtyards, parks, squares, streets, monuments... Everything possible needs to be done so everyone can use them, children too” Francesco Tonucci The conceptualisation and design of this Plan, which is intended to improve and diversify the opportunities for play everywhere and in all the city’s public spaces, offers a broad view not only of places where play is envisaged but also where people play, more or less spontaneously, fortuitously and occasionally. Consequently, our work has been based on the concept of recreation infrastructure, with the aim of having a category for analysing the new paradigm that includes the different types of outdoor urban spaces with possibilities for play, rather than just intensity of playful use and intentionality of design for play. Analysing the city from this perspective of recreation infrastructure enables us to clearly identify three layers for improving and maximising playability that act as concentric circles and which, together, make up the urban recreation infrastructure. 22 Image 1. Recreation infrastructure Source: Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents LAYER 1: Play Areas and School Playgrounds Both of these are ideal places for children to play outdoors, which are not shared with other uses and are specifically designated and designed for playing and doing physical activity, with some kind of specially designed equipment that requires certification. Play areas: Enclosed, sign-posted and certified spaces designated exclusively for play with expressly designed and certified playful equipment. School playgrounds: Outdoor spaces at nursery, infant, primary and secondary schools where children play in school time and at midday, and which can be opened up to the neighbourhood at other times. LAYER 2: Playful spaces and School surroundings Both of these spaces are for the exclusive use of pedestrians with possibilities for play and playful uses alongside other public activities. Given their characteristics, they may include urban features with possibilities for play, as well as certified play equipment. They are basically places for people to meet socially that are vital for intergenerational relations, locals to mix and community life. Access to them must ensure children’s safety and their autonomy, as well as facilitate mobility on foot or on wheels. They must also be accessible. Recreation spaces: Parks, squares, gardens and residential block interiors that offer possibilities for play alongside other uses and may or may not include a play area. Recreation spaces offer more risky, more diverse opportunities for play and physical activity that are suitable for all ages and go beyond what play areas offer, as it is possible to play running, skating or riding a bike, with a ball, conveying artistic expression or interacting with the natural surroundings. For the Plan’s operational purposes, we have moved away from the 23 concept of green spaces to call them recreation spaces and identify them as places for play where the idea is to promote play. School surroundings: Urban spaces around schools and at nursery, infant, primary and secondary school entrances with traffic-calmed access and possibilities for an area to relax and play in. These places form part of the second layer due to their specific and valuable function as places for meeting and community life, as the schools’ educational community meet there throughout the school year, morning, midday and afternoon, time for waiting and impromptu play. People meet and children play to a greater or lesser extent depending on the urban features of these areas, the environmental conditions and road safety. LAYER 3: Playable city This third layer includes other urban and natural spaces, as well as pedestrian routes in the city where children, adolescents, adults and elderly people play or do physical activity more or less spontaneously or by chance. This makes it possible to maximise the opportunities for play by adopting various measures, from widening, optimising and/or conditioning urban spaces to installing urban furniture and other highly playable features, tactical urban planning and one-off initiatives that stimulate play. These include:  Streets for the exclusive use of pedestrians, permanently or temporarily  Traffic-calmed streets and wide pavements  Playable urban furniture (benches, shelters, etc.)  Urban sports parks (skate parks)  Open multi-sports courts  Sports equipment (basketball baskets, table-tennis tables, pétanque courts, etc.)  Beaches, woodland parks and river beds 4.3 Quality criteria for movingtowards a playable city Based on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Comments on the right to play (GC N. 17, 2013) and an analysis of international reference documents on designs for maximising the playability of the urban environment (see bibliography), 7 quality play criteria have been drawn up that should be taken into account when designing spaces to play in the city, especially play areas and recreation spaces. The preliminary version, included in the Barcelona Plays Things Right Strategy, has been evaluated in various working forums for drawing up the Plan, especially in the Urban Model departments, as well as with the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens and the Barcelona Children and Adolescents Institute. This Plan provides for drawing up an operational handbook for designing projects that will go into more detail on the requirements and technical guidelines based on these seven criteria. 24 1. Multiple proposals for challenging and creative games that aid a child and adolescent’s healthy development 2. Diverse, stimulating, connected and 7 accessible physical space 3. Inclusive play areas for all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities. CQRuITaEliRIA FtOyR A 4. Contact with nature, greenery and play with sand PcLrAitYeAr BLE and water. ia AND for PLAYED- movi 5. Shared, intergenerational and collaborative play. IN CITY ng towa 6. Place for meeting up and where the rds a community can come together. play - 7. Playful ecosystems and safe, playable frie environments friendly environments. ndl y Critecriitoyn 1: Multiple options for creative, challenging play for healthy child development Play areas should offer lots of options that foster all-round healthy child development, maximising diverse physical activity and stimulating the desire to play. They should offer children challenges so they explore, decide and handle them as the protagonists of the action, accepting responsibilities and assuming risks independently, and testing their skills. They should allow creative and versatile play with structures that stimulate children to play in different ways, enabling them to handle objects so they can construct, destroy and move them, pile them up and so on, thus fostering their imagination and creativity. The play options should combine movement, symbolic, motor, experimental and other types of play and, at the same time, ensure maximum diversity in the main playful activities (see Table 1), in particular sliding, swinging and climbing, as these are the three that imply more active, more intense play. 25 Table 1. Main playful activities and equipment that stimulates them Activities Equipment/facilities that can stimulate playful activity 1. Sliding Slides of different heights and widths, long and short, covered in the form of a tube or open, with different gradients and shapes, etc. Sloping slide boards with different heights and gradients. 2. Swinging Single and multiple swings suitable for different ages, from babies to adults, different heights, for swinging in pairs, deckchair-type (suitable for children with functional disability), basket swings for playing together, for adolescents and children with motor disabilities, etc. 3. Climbing Climbing walls, ladders, raised platforms, steps, net pyramids, sculptures that children can climb on, mikado play towers, natural logs and so on, with different heights and levels of difficulty, for all ages. 4. Maintaining Balancing bars, log circuits, hanging bridges, etc., at different heights, balance with various levels of difficulty. 5. Jumping Trampolines, flexible net, rubbers structures, platforms with springs, etc. 6. Feeling dizzy Merry-go-rounds for one or more children, ziplines, hanging bridges at different heights, firemen’s poles, etc. 7. Rocking Individual or multi-child see-saws, spring or up-and-down type, on the ground or hanging, with ropes and different intensities. 8. Running and Spaces large and open enough for running, cycling, skating, riding skateboarding or scooting around as well as playing ball games, rope games or other motor-skill games. 9. Hiding Little houses, bushes forming an enclosure, structures for getting underneath, tubes, natural elements in the form of a cave, tunnels, etc. 10. Experimenting Sand tables or surfaces, natural elements (stones, sticks, leaves), water channels, games with pulleys with buckets and receptacles, sound structures, circuit-type spaces for exploring, etc. 11. Role play Little houses, kitchens, structures in the form of vehicles, vessels, trains, cars and animals, other structures that suggest settings, for example, castles, cabins, etc. 12. Self- Boards, chalk, poles and sand, stages and stepping, smooth concrete expression paving and mirror-effect wall for dancing, electricity supply and WiFi for music, “free” walls for urban art, etc. 13. Meeting up Places for meeting up with benches arranged for group and relaxing conversations, big and small picnic tables, comfortable grass surfaces for sitting on the ground, shaded areas, etc. Source: Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents 26 Criterion 2: Diverse, stimulating, connected and accessible physical space Play areas should adopt an overall perspective on the design for play, meaning that the whole area should offer stimulating possibilities for playing with a design that fits in with the environment, offering a variety of uses. They should be physically attractive, well looked-after, welcoming spaces for people to stay, meet up and play with surfaces (textures, materials, colours, etc.) and a relief (tunnels, embankments) that open up various possibilities and enrich play, apart from the structures. They should not necessarily, nor always, be confined or demarcated with an enclosure. This should be dependant on each case, the proximity of any dangers, the suitability of installing one or not, the perimeter and type of enclosure, reducing them as much as possible to facilitate connectivity with the rest of the environment. Criterion 3: Inclusive play areas for all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities.  Play areas should be attractive places for people of various ages to play in and, in particular, include the play and playful needs of adolescents (with team-game and lifting equipment, spaces for performance play, etc.) as well as play options for adults.  They should encourage children to play together and, therefore, be diverse places that do not focus too much on more physical activities at the expense of others.  They should accommodate the city’s cultural wealth and diversity, with a design that avoids excessive specialisation and encourages children to relate so that, spontaneously, they become inclusive spaces for children from different backgrounds.  There should be one or more inclusive-certified pieces of equipment that enables a child with a functional disability (motor, sensory, intellectual) functional diversity to enjoy themself with other children. Criterion 4: Contact with nature, greenery and play with sand and water.  Play areas should include greenery and vegetation that children can interact with, pass under, hide in, climb, touch and feel the leaves, as well as play with the leaves and small branches that fall off.  They should include natural elements such as sand, grass, bark, stones for the surfaces and to expand their playability, as well as water for cooling down and playing with.  It should be possible to climb, balance and relax on natural features such as rocks or logs, as well as have play equipment made from natural materials. Criterion 5: Shared, intergenerational and collaborative play. 27  Play area structures should foster shared play, encouraging the simultaneous play of two or more children, and group play involving boys and girls (multi-games, see-saws for two or four, wide slides for more than one person to slide down, swings for older persons, etc.).  Some structures should incorporate the need for collaboration (pulleys, see-saws, etc.) as the starting point for shared play which maximises the psychosocial benefits of play.  There should also be options for shared play between children and the adults looking after them, equipment that could be used by adults and elderly people, thus encouraging attitudes and playful activities involving everyone and throughout the life cycle. Criterion 6: Place for meeting up and where the community can come together  Play areas and their immediate surroundings should not be conceived as children’s playgrounds but as a community meeting place, therefore taking into account the needs of adults looking after the children.  They should be comfortable, welcoming places with benches, picnic tables, toilets, shade, good lighting, fountains, good maintenance and cleaning.  Places where people come together, meaningful places for the community that should promote formulas for joint responsibility when it comes to looking after them. Criterion 7: Playful ecosystems and safe, playable environments  Play areas should be designed fulfilling as many criteria as possible in each one, while bearing in mind they are part of a broader recreation ecosystem which they complement.  The community recreation ecosystem comprising various play areas, recreation spaces, school surroundings and playgrounds with community uses in a given area should be connected by pedestrian routes, safe paths and traffic-calmed streets. Play area, recreation spaces and school entrances and surroundings should facilitate the free movement of children from a certain age and independent play. 28 5. Diagnosis of the opportunities for play in Barcelona’s public spaces The knowledge generated in this initial diagnosis of the opportunities for play in Barcelona’s public spaces enables us to guide the actions of the Plan on the basis of data, create indicators, establish base lines in 2018 and measurable targets for 2030 for those challenges for which data is available. This diagnosis is also useful as a starting point for detecting gaps in our knowledge and for future research to understand the scope, update the challenges, see the progress and the impacts on play in public spaces. Creating databases and a system of indicators to carry out this initial diagnosis has required a big effort but means in the future Barcelona City Council will be in the best possible position to account for its work and monitor the opportunities for play in public spaces, to help make public decisions based on evidence in moving towards a playable city that people play in. This section starts from the preliminary analysis carried out by the IIAG for the Barcelona Plays Things Right Strategy (February 2018), summarises Barcelona Regional’s specific diagnostic report on recreation infrastructure and systematises and analyses the scant data available on the playful uses of public space in Barcelona prepared by the IIAB. The diagnosis is approached from two angles. First, recreation infrastructure is analysed in terms of availability, density, proximity and quality. Second, the playful uses of public space are analysed in terms of playful and physical activity. In 2018, Barcelona City Council, or more specifically the Green Spaces, Ecological Biodiversity and Urban Services Directorate, compiled detailed information on the city’s play areas with regard to their location, surface area, age, type of paving and enclosure, as well as the type of playful activity offered in each one based on an analysis of their features. That has enabled a more in-depth look at the qualitative side of the diagnosis. In addition, data provided by the Barcelona Institute of Sport has enabled us to supplement the spaces for doing sport with opportunities for play in any part of the city. A bibliographical review of reports and documents produced by the Municipal Institute for Persons with Disabilities, the Barcelona Public Health Agency and the Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents has made it possible to include diagnostic conclusions on other aspects of recreation infrastructure, such as school playgrounds and the areas around schools or the services offered by parks and squares, as well as physical activity in and the play uses of public spaces. With regard to the final aspect on uses, it should be noted that despite the efforts to compile data, there is really very little information so it will be necessary to continue working on this to improve our knowledge of the outdoor playful activity of all ages in the city. Context Barcelona is one of the most compact and densest cities in Europe (with 159 inhabitants per hectare) and every day a very significant number of workers and students come here from the metropolitan area, as well as a large number of tourists. Consequently, public space in the city comes under lots of pressure from its different uses and has to accommodate the many needs of urban dynamics, social relations and citizen activities, which include play and physical activity. 29 One of the dangers that Barcelona faces, therefore, is becoming too compact. The relationship between the built up area and public space is dominated by the former, which translates into increased urban pressure with various consequences for the city. Barcelona is practically consolidated. The margin for growth is limited and very specific as there is no developable land, in other words, hardly any areas remain for development. Public space cannot be generated on a large scale, except in areas that have already been built or on existing infrastructures, such as Parc de la Sagrera or Parc de Glòries. Urban recycling, transformation, intensification and urban renovation are usual strategies in the city and will be even more so in the future, as generating public space in a city as dense, compact and consolidated as this is one of the main challenges facing Barcelona, and a reality that needs to be borne in mind in the Public Space Play Plan. 5.1 Recreation infrastructure 5.1.1 Play areas A play area is a space that is signposted, indicating the use and age range for which the play equipment and facilities installed there are intended. There are play areas for 0-5 and 6-12 year-olds, as well as mixed ones with games and activities suitable for both age groups. There are also some accessible and inclusive ones for all children, regardless of their abilities. As children’s play areas are individually identified, there may be more than one, with different characteristics, in the same place (park, garden or square). Availability and size The city has 868 play areas totalling 159,100 m2 (an average of 183 m2 per area) but half of them (51%) can be considered small because they do not reach 150m2 (data from 2018). There has been no overall planning in the city, nor any minimum standards on their size or what level of provision there should be for children and adolescents. In Barcelona there are play areas ranging from one of 16m2 in El Carmel to one of 2,281m2 in La Guineueta. There are 32 play areas that do not meet minimum surface area standards as they are excessively small (less than 50m2) and represent 4% of the total. This is a size that does not allow quality active play because it cannot offer sufficient diversity in the playful activities. (See Chapter 4). 30 Map 1. Play areas under 50m2. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council The play areas are not evenly spread around the city’s districts. At one extreme there is the Sant Martí district which, despite having 10% of the city’s non-residential hectares, concentrates 23% of play area square metres. At the other extreme, Ciutat Vella and Gràcia have 3.8% and 4.4% of play area square metres in the city but with a more proportional presence of non-residential hectares (4% in Ciutat Vella and 2.8% in Gràcia). 31 Map 2. Distribution of play areas. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council Table 2. Play areas in Barcelona, by district, total number and surface area in m2. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council 32 Density Currently there is no report, nor any territorial analysis of the real uses of play areas which would allow us to properly diagnose the density of uses, and not just the ratios of square metres per child used as a reference, despite the limits this poses for understanding the actual situation. It needs to be borne in mind that not all children in the city play at the same time, nor are they equally distributed around the play areas. Other factors influence this, such as their proximity to a child’s home or school, their quality in terms of playability, the age range they are for, maintenance, the social profiles of local residents who go there and the social life they generate (see Section 5.2.3) There are 178,728 children aged 0 to 12 in Barcelona, which is 11% of the city’s inhabitants, of whom 82,352 are between 0 and 5 (46%) and 96,376 between 6 and 12 (54%). In general, there is a correspondence between the number of children in a district and the total number of play areas there but other data need to be taken into account to be able to assess whether districts with fewer play areas have a good provision. The play space especially for children aged 6 to 12 (play areas for 6-12 year-olds and mixed, 0‐12) is slightly bigger than that for the 0 to 5 age group (play areas for 0‐5 year- olds and mixed, 0‐12). The space that Barcelona offers children for playing outdoors is not enough and is too dense: only 0.9m2 of play area per child. This figure is much lower than the recommended 7m2 of area per child, which is approximately half the space for a place in a car park (Guide 7C Canada). Moreover, the availability of spaces for play in the city’s districts is uneven: children in Sant Martí have more than twice the play area space per child (1.4m2/child) than in Ciutat Vella (0.6m2/per child) or Gràcia (0.5m2/child). Table 3. Density of play areas per district and according to type 2018 Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council If we analyse the situation by neighbourhood, in some the child/m2 of play area ratios are particularly low. In Sants‐Badal, El Putxet and El Farró or La Font d’en Fargues they do not even reach 0.30m2/child (a third of the city average). However, it should be noted that although the data show a neighbourhood can have significant deficits in some of the indicators mentioned, it is possible that by merely crossing the street (and changing neighbourhood) a child can have access to a large play area. 33 Map 2. Play area surface area distribution per child by neighbourhood. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council Proximity Local provision is good in Barcelona in terms of the number of areas close to children’s homes and schools. Some 80% of children aged 0 to 12 have a play area five minutes walk from where they live (it being understood that a child is capable of walking 200 metres in five minutes) and 98% ten minutes away. The other 2% have play areas over 15 minutes away. Some of the play area gaps in the city coincide with the neighbourhoods where the square metres of play area per child is very low: Sants‐Badal, La Font d’en Fargues, Sant Gervasi Galvany or El Putxet i el Farró. Others have little accessibility to play areas but the child population is small, for example, Dreta de l’Eixample or El Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou. And in others, such as Poble Sec, the steep slopes of Montjuïc mean they are not so close. Some places in the city where there is a lack of play areas are close to large green spaces such as Collserola, Montjuïc or Tres Turons; to the beaches or the River Besòs; or public space in the superblocks, which are also ideal for playing in. 34 Map 3. No play areas 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council Table 4: The 10 neighbourhoods with the most and least m2 of play area per child. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council Children with a legally recognised disability have a greater deficit as regards play areas with inclusive play equipment close to their home. Only 1.7% of children with a disability aged 0 to 5 and 2.6% of those aged 6 to 12 have an “adapted” play area five minutes or less from their home (IMPD, 2016). Les Corts is the district with the most coverage as regards these play areas. There, 8.5% of 6 to 12 year-olds with a disability have one five minutes or less from their home. 35 Most nursery, infant and primary, and special needs schools in the city have a play area of their own. Only 2 out of 10 schools (18%) are poorly provided, with the nearest play area over 15 minutes away on foot. On the other hand, four play areas have been identified as potentially having a very high use density because they are less than five minutes away and serve up to 14 nearby schools: Plaça Gal·la Placídia and Plaça de les Dones del 36 in Vila de Gràcia, Torrent de les Roses in Pedralbes, and Parc de Joan Reventós in Sarrià. Quality The few available reports on play areas in the city identify questions relating to the number of areas or pieces of equipment. There are also reports on maintenance, safety and regulations, based on the City Council’s rigorous control system with annual audits and certifications to comply with European and municipal regulations. There was a clear lack of play area quality analysis in terms of playability. This analysis is based on existing play areas and also new data from those where play equipment has been classified by type of equipment (basket swing, wide slide, etc.) and the type of activity (sliding, rocking, swinging, climbing, etc.). This type of identification has given us sufficient data for some quality indicators based on the new conceptual framework and seven criteria already mentioned (see Section 4.3). Diversity of playful activities There is little diversity in the play areas, which are very standardised due to the limited variety in the types of play they offer. Only 23% (199) of them offer at least six different playful activities of the main ones which it is considered a play area could offer: climbing, swinging, sliding, maintaining balance, jumping, feeling dizzy, rocking, running and riding, hiding, experimenting, role play, self-expression, meeting up and relaxing. 36 Map 4 Play areas offering at least 6 playful activities. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council Some 16% of play areas do not offer even three different play activities and are regarded as not meeting minimum playability quality standards. Only 1 in 3 (32%) offer the three main motor-skill play activities, which are sliding, climbing and swinging. On the negative side, 12% do not offer any of those activities. 37 Map 5. Areas that offer 3 or fewer than 3 of the main playful activities. 2018 Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council There is not a suitable proportion of the type of equipment found in play areas as a whole: while 67% have springs (rocking activities, often for individual use, 24% offer balancing play and only 22% have revolving equipment. There is not enough explicit stimulus for symbolic play, as only 18% of play areas have any equipment for that kind of play, structures such as little houses, kitchens or means of transport. In other words, 8 out of 10 play areas do not include resources for symbolic play. Only 8% have basket swings or wide slides that allow joint play, or a higher degree of risk management or feeling of dizziness and are therefore more appealing to teenagers. There is not enough information to analyse whether the play areas do enough to stimulate children’s creativity or versatility of uses, nor on the real possibilities they offer for handling things (transferring, piling, moving, etc.) Risk management Play areas do not encourage children to manage risk enough, especially those over eight. There are only four in the entire city with equipment over 3 metres high (apart from the six 3D nets on the beaches not counted in the play areas). And there are only seven with giant slides or slide boards (plus one at the beach) and nine ziplines. 38 Map 6. Play areas with 3m high equipment, giant slides or ziplines (except those at the beach) 2018 Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council Stimulating physical space The physical space of the play areas is not very stimulating as, generally, they are flat, without any mounds or change of level. Moreover, the demarcation is not very permeable or flexible: three out of four have some kind of enclosure. This 73.5% of enclosed play areas contrasts with the fact that half of them are in green spaces (49.7%). When a play area is demarcated by an enclosure in parks, gardens, squares or block interiors, etc., it impedes permeability between that area and its surroundings and reduces the fluid movement of children through that space, while also reducing the possibilities of diversifying play and integrating different ages. Enclosures are sometimes installed to comply with regulations and, at other times, to meet other criteria, such as preventing anti-social behaviour (for example, that of irresponsible local pet owners) or for the peace of mind of over-protective adults, who prefer to have one because it enables greater control over the children (Etnografia IIAB 2017). Diversity of ages Although there are mixed play areas suitable for 0 to 12 year-olds, in general they are not inclusive enough for all ages and there is a lack of equipment with sufficient appeal for the 10-12 age group. The lack of risk management they offer means they are aimed at children up to nine years old, at most, resulting in a lack of interest on the part of older children in the equipment on offer. For the early age bands, 39 above all young children just beginning to walk, there are also play areas for 0 to 5 year- olds, or mixed ones, but not enough in-depth study has been done to see whether the equipment they have enables the youngest children (aged 1 to 2) to play independently and if there is enough equipment really suited to them. It needs to be borne in mind that the capabilities of a 1 year-old are very different to those who are 4 or 5. There is not a single public space play area designed for 13 to 17 year-olds. In fact, the only ones designed to be used by them are spaces for sport with sports facilities and equipment, such as open courts, table-tennis tables, basketball baskets, urban sports parks or skate parks (see Section 5.1.6). Functional diversity  Barcelona’s play areas are neither inclusive nor accessible enough for children with functional diversity as only 1 in 4 are accessible or have equipment certified as inclusive. That means 21% of play areas are accessible to children with disabilities, basically with wheelchairs (Analysis of the accessibility of children’s play areas carried out by the Barcelona City Council Area of Social Rights in December 2016). There are only 10 play areas where all the play equipment is inclusive-certified and only 21 with a deckchair swing that enables children with functional diversity to swing. Contact with green and natural elements Some 50% of play areas are outside a green space (parks, gardens and squares over 2,000 m2, as well as block interiors). Although 32% of these areas have contact with trees, their main purpose is to provide shade. So, despite the fact that the presence of trees is very valuable for the visual contact with greenery, it is very unlikely that they add any value in terms of playability. It should also be remembered that there is a municipal regulation that explicitly bans climbing trees. And, finally, it is worth highlighting that there is no information on whether or not they are deciduous, which generates plant waste that is ideal for children’s play. 40 Map 7 Location of play areas inside green spaces. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council There is a clear deficit in the possibilities for water play, as Barcelona only has two play spaces for splashing and cooling yourself down. Only 18% of play areas have a drinking fountain within 50m. It should be pointed out that, seeing how water fountains near play areas are distributed once again confirms there is no overall criterion for the city neighbourhoods. In new Esquerra de l’Eixample and Sant Antoni, for example, nearly all play areas have a water fountain within 50 metres. 41 Map 8. Play areas with water fountains within 50 metres. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council As regards sand play, 70% of play areas have a sand surface, 2% a weathered granite surface and 28% one of rubber. The play possibilities of exploring with sand need to be preserved, above all by analysing data by area, as there are four districts that are below the average of play areas with a sand surface, particularly Ciutat Vella (46%) and to a lesser degree, Sant Martí (63 %), Nou Barris (66%) and Gràcia with (69%). Shared, collaborative and intergenerational play Although play areas are spaces where various children play at the same time, they do not encourage shared and collaborative play enough by facilitating simultaneous play between two or more children, or group play. Only 1 out of 10 areas (11%) have at least one piece of equipment for collective play (see-saws for two or more children, wide slides for more than one person to slide down at the same time, etc.) and, of those, only half invite children to cooperate, with equipment such as basket swings and merry-go- rounds. There is practically no stimulus for intergenerational play because of the lack of play equipment suitable for children over 12, which would allow adolescents, young people and grown-ups to play and interact in play with children. Moreover, the regulations demand that gymnastic and playful circuits for elderly people have to be separated from play equipment for little children. Only 26% of play areas are mixed and they are the ones designed for the broadest age band (0 to 12 years old). The only spaces that can be regarded as stimulating intergenerational play are the courts and sports equipment, and only 16% of the city’s play areas have sports courts within 40 metres. 42 Meeting places As places for people to meet, which require certain conditions that make them habitable and comfortable, it should be pointed out that only 37% of play areas have benches within the area. (It is not known if their layout encourages conversation, although often they are arranged for keeping an eye on children.) Another 26% do not have benches within 10 metres. The availability of shade is another important factor for creating comfortable spaces, especially in summer. According to the data available, 82% of play areas are next to trees and in the case of the vast majority without trees, it is because their location does not allow for them. Nevertheless, no specific study has been carried out on shade in play areas, which is usually one of the demands specified by families. 5.1.2 School playgrounds School playgrounds are open-air spaces attached to nursery, infant and primary and secondary schools, where curricular activities take place and children play during the morning break and at lunchtime. Sometimes out-of-school hours activities are held there too. In addition, for a number of years now, the Barcelona Municipal Institute of Education has been running the “School Playgrounds Open to the Neighbourhood” programme to encourage them to stay open for community use by local residents outside school hours, thus turning them into new public spaces for playing in. This programme has been evaluated (IIAB, 2017). Availability Only 69 (35%) of the 197 playgrounds at municipally-owned schools in the city are part of the “School Playgrounds Open to the Neighbourhood” programme. However, there are imbalances between summer and winter opening. All the playgrounds in the programme open in winter but only 17 do so in summer. That means that 65% of state school playgrounds (128) are almost exclusively used by school students during school time, although some invite playful education organisations. The distribution of open school playgrounds throughout the city is very even in many districts but some areas have been identified with significant gaps, such as the centre of Eixample, Les Corts, Ciutat Vella and a considerable part of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi. There is only one school playground open in Les Corts, bordering on Hospitalet de Llobregat, while there are three in Ciutat Vella and four in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi. Either way, it would be necessary to carry out a more in-depth analysis of how intensively they are used, case by case. Little diversity in the type of school that opens its playground to the community: 88.5% of the programme’s centres are infant and primary schools. The other 11.5% are municipal-run secondary schools, because there are no municipal nursery or special needs schools. Quality There is currently no overall city report that might evaluate the present state of school playground infrastructure but a bibliographical check of the reports analysing playgrounds 43 drawn up the Barcelona City Council Gender Mainstreaming Department (2016) and the study “School Playgrounds: spaces for educational opportunities” produced by the Bofill Foundation (2010) enables us to draw the following conclusions: Generally speaking, school playgrounds are poor in terms of their spaces, design and facilities. They are often not very comfortable or stimulating and are a long way from nature, besides being poorly or seldom maintained. Given their potential, hardly any advantage is made of them as spaces for education and increased sociability, community life, curiosity, discovery and creativity. Sports courts are the main feature of playgrounds. In the other parts, there is very little equipment or facilities for other forms of play. It is estimated that 30% of schools in the city have playgrounds that are suitable in terms of playability, gender and sustainability criteria, or which are undergoing alterations. In general they are new-builds or schools where the education community has started a process of change. However, there are no clear, established or shared criteria for making overall improvements to school playgrounds as an important recreation infrastructure resource in the framework of educational facilities. 5.1.3 Leisure areas A leisure area is a park, garden, square or block interior that offers possibilities for play alongside other uses and which might include a play area. In order to approach and diagnose the situation of leisure areas in the city, we took as a reference the analysis of green spaces in “The Environmental Services of Green Spaces in Barcelona” (2018), a report commissioned by the Barcelona City Council Directorate of Green Spaces, Ecological Diversity and Urban Services, and produced by Barcelona Regional. So, in this section, any reference to a green space will be synonymous with leisure area.  There are 326 green spaces in the city (these being all the parks, gardens and squares over 2,000 m2, as well as block interiors) which cover 496.56 ha, a total surface area much larger than that of the play areas. The opportunities for play in green spaces  78% of green spaces have a play area. Those that do not have one are mainly on Montjuïc, where often they are old parks designed with a less functional idea than today: prioritising harmony and beauty with a French-garden style and areas with statues and monuments. Even if green spaces do not have a play area, they also offer opportunities for leisure and physical activity, mainly because of their size which makes them safe from traffic, and are enriched by the presence of nature. Nature itself, or the fact they are open spaces, makes them ideal for playing, whether it’s running about, exploring, playing group games, hiding, rolling a ball or spinning a spinning top. 44 Map 9. Urban green spaces analysed in Barcelona. 2018 Source: Barcelona Regional The link with nature is undoubtedly one of the main values of urban green spaces, something that is particularly important and necessary for children in an urban environment. The loss of contact with nature, knowledge and experience of natural cycles is becoming more acute in cities. Green spaces enable children to experience some of this, from observing the seasonal change in vegetation to satisfying their curiosity and learning more about the animal and plant species they can find there. The indicators for evaluating the so-called socio-environmental service of parks – contact with nature – are tree cover, native plant species, permeable soils, the presence of water areas and the surrounding noise level, among others. However, in general, the city offers few benefits in terms of this socio-environmental service, apart form the Tres Turons, Montjuïc and Ciutadella parks. The vegetation in these spaces is not explicitly designed for children to interact with it. Maintaining the balance between preserving the green spaces and looking after their vegetation, and children’s need for play, is not easy. We need to think hard about what types of plants are best so children can explore and interact with them. Natural processes, such as leaves falling off trees in autumn, generate some very interesting and appealing materials for play. The accessibility of green spaces The green spaces are really well designed for facilitating inclusive play for people with functional diversity, since 87% of them have adopted accessibility measures for people with reduced mobility. Most of the 13% that lack sufficiently accessible access are those 45 on the Montjuïc and Tres Turons hills. Green spaces as a meeting point and place for community life Despite their potential as a place for people to meet up, given their size, shade and peace, the city’s green spaces have few features that encourage people to stay. Only 9% have picnic tables (the largest such as Turó de la Peira, Joan Brossa, Castell de l’Oreneta, Parc Güell, Parc de la Trinitat or Parc del Poblenou) and only 18% (60) have some sort of bar with a terrace, possibly in cafés, which encourage people to use these green spaces because they can get a meal and, in that way, extend their stay. Map 10. Picnic tables in green spaces. 2018 Source: Barcelona Regional The city’s green spaces do not do enough to meet everyday needs, both in terms of public toilets, which only 8% (28) have, mainly the bigger parks, or drinking fountains, which 22%, nearly one in four, lack. They are spaces that favour the presence of urban biodiversity and encourage exploration with natural features. In general they provide shade, as practically half of them (49%) have tree cover of over 40%, while only 17% have low cover (less than 20%). Moreover, the trees make them more friendly places, together with the rest of the shrubs and herbaceous vegetation. 46 5.1.4 School surroundings School settings are often places for spontaneous play, but with little planning, and they are sometimes hostile. According to the preliminary study carried out by the Eixample district, school settings need to be improved, particularly with regard to the lack of pavement space, urban furniture and vegetation. These shortcomings are linked to traffic density on the street where the school entrance is located, which makes them unsafe, and anti-social behaviour, especially litter on the ground, dogs off their lead and cars parking in places where it is banned and at times not allowed. In 2018, small alterations were carried out at four schools in Eixample (Diputació, Auró, Viladomat and Maria Auxiliadora) and a further eight are planned there for 2019. 5.1.5 Streets exclusively for pedestrians Temporarily or permanently pedestrianised streets, and traffic-calmed spaces are opportunities for play, as they are solely for the use of pedestrians, even though they have to share them with lots of other uses. Barcelona is a very dense city with an average of 159 inhabitants per hectares (2017). Especially significant is the population density in districts such as Eixample (356 inh/ha), Gràcia (290 inh/ha) or Ciutat Vella (232 inh/ha). Only Horta‐Guinardó, Les Corts, Sants Montjuïc and Sarrià‐Sant Gervasi are below the average. A more detailed analysis, by neighbourhood, will have to be conducted, because the uses of public space for play and physical activity are mainly based in surroundings close to where people live most days of the week, so the district scale is too large. Without a doubt, streets are currently the main public space in the city but the space allocated to vehicles is still greater. There are 1,129.9 hectares of roadway and 152 hectares of on-street parking compared to 983.5 hectares of pavements, which includes the space for urban furniture, trees, terraces, motorbikes, etc. In other words, 60% of public space in the city is allocated to wheeled transport and on-street parking. The figure for streets and areas where pedestrians have priority has doubled in a decade, from 71 hectares in 2007 to 127 in 2017. Walking is the main form of moving around in Barcelona, accounting for 52% of internal journeys. Among other things, this is thanks to the wide pavements, traffic- calmed 30 kph zones, streets without raised pavements, pedestrian-only zones and the superblocks. Ciutat Vella and Gràcia were the first districts to prioritise these types of streets, due to the morphology of their urban fabric, while progress has been made on the superblocks in recent years. It will be necessary to find out if the half of all play areas that are not in green spaces are in environments that are sufficiently free of pollution, traffic and other physical dangers that will allow people to move around freely and safely in their neighbourhood. When the area around a play area is for pedestrians only, it not only helps to create safer environments there, it also makes it possible to double or more the opportunities for play in those spaces because they become additional play spaces for 47 riding a scooter or a bike, skating or playing ball games. The new urban model of superblocks enables the city to gain safer environments for children, adolescents and people of all ages, as its main aim is to appropriate public space for the city’s citizens. The intention is also to improve urban quality and reduce the environmental impact of vehicles. Benches, play equipment, picnic tables, sports equipment (table-tennis tables, basketball baskets, goals, play circuits) are installed with more greenery. The Poblenou and Sant Antoni superblocks are the two that have been created so far, the latter having made it possible to reclaim 26,000 m2 of public space for pedestrians. This year it is planned to get three more off the ground, in Les Corts, Hostafrancs and Horta. Map 11. Superblocks in Barcelona. 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council 5.1.6 Outdoor sports spaces and equipment Sports courts and sports equipment are places and amenities for physical and playful activity that encourage and enable unorganised physical activity to take place.  According to the mapping done by the Barcelona Institute of Sport (IBE – 2018) the city of Barcelona has 313 sports activity areas with 1,160 sports spaces or items of equipment. An area consists of more than one space or item. - The sports spaces are multisport courts for basketball, volleyball, pétanque, etc., as well as climbing walls. Those identified include 33 multisport courts, 7 volleyball courts, 31 basketball courts 48 and 674 pétanque courts, by far the most numerous. - The sports equipment identified includes 191 table-tennis tables, 84 basketball baskets not on any court and 33 circuits for physical activity, such as callisthenics. Map 12. Sports equipment throughout the city 2018. Source: Barcelona Regional through the IBE Playful activity linked to the use of skateboards, scooters and skates, among other things, is becoming more popular and the devotees of these sports are gradually increasing, especially among young people. The city has 12 spots (urban locations with no features or structures built by the City Council, where skaters usually skate), 11 skatable areas, 7 skateboarding and skating rinks, and 4 urban sports parks, which are for skateboarding, scooters and inline skating. They can also be used for freestyle cycling. But there are not enough of these spaces, especially if we bear in mind this is the only resource specifically for adolescents and young people in the city. The urban sports parks, which are the largest and most varied spaces, each cover between 1,000 and 3,000 3.00 m2, making a total surface area of 8,975 m2. There are currently four of them.  The one in the Àurea Cuadrado Gardens (Les Corts district)  The one in Nou Barris (Nou Barris district)  The one in Baró de Viver (Sant Andreu district)  The one in Mar Bella (Sant Martí district) The open sports courts, the various items of sports equipment spread around the city and 49 the urban sports parks are a resource for children aged 12 or over and they have the potential for enhancing social and intergenerational relations, as sports activities often involve groups, or at least two people, and they can be used by different age groups. The sports courts and sports equipment near a play area complement it as they boost its use and help to diversify the playful activities. However, only 16% (139) of play areas have any within 40 metres. Table-tennis tables and basketball baskets are the main ones. The other 85% (738 areas) do not have any sports equipment nearby. Spread around the city there is also a playful infrastructure for the playful and physical activity of young people, adults and elderly people. Barcelona has two types of outdoor playful gymnastic circuits (specific installations of apparatus for physical exercise that are freely accessible and cost nothing): 14 are for improving physical fitness and 36 are specifically for elderly people (Troba’t B). There are also 11 sports circuits, which are pubic urban spaces in parks, avenues and other outdoor areas for walking or even running. 5.1.7 Natural surroundings Woodland parks, urban beaches and riverbeds also offer clear opportunities for play. Various activities are possible there, often linked to healthy leisure which means more or less organised physical activity. They are also conducive to spontaneous play among children. They are mainly used at weekends or during school holidays and at certain times of the year. So, while they are places that should be borne in mind, they do not solve the everyday need for play. Barcelona’s urban beaches occupy 26.7 hectares and, besides being places for bathing, they also allow children to play different games, such as flying kites or various sports (football, volleyball, beach tennis, Frisbee, etc.). But, apart from in summer, little use is made of them as a place for children, adolescents and the population in general to play and do physical or playful activity. During the summer they are visited by some 4.7 million people, while estimates for the rest of the year indicate they only have about 1.3 million users. In all about 6 million a year. Other places in the city for healthy play, physical activity, recreation and leisure include Collserola and Montjuïc, with its wooded areas and broad pavements near the Castle, the Lluís Companys Stadium and Palau Sant Jordi esplanades and even the Foixarda climbing wall. Finally, the Tres Turons, hills, which retain their natural value. On the one hand, urban parks (Park Güell, Parc de la Creueta, Parc del Carmel) and on the other, more informal spaces particularly suitable for children’s spontaneous play. 50 5.2 Playful uses of public space There is no previous study on playful uses in Barcelona, nor specific data available, but a bibliographical review of the various reports published has served to get an idea and find out the level of children’s satisfaction with they city’s play areas. 5.2.1 What do children tell us? Although play areas are primarily for children aged 0 to 12, there is no systematic mechanism in the city for finding out their opinions and level of satisfaction as users. However, based on information and suggestions for improvements gathered during the various participatory processes documented from 2001, in which they were asked about public spaces, and information provided by the Barcelona City Council Survey on the Subjective Well-Being of Children, drawn up by the IIAB and carried out in 2017, we have an idea of their satisfaction with regard to those spaces, the time they spend there and their play likes and preferences. Satisfaction with regard to the spaces for playing The level of satisfaction of city children aged 10 to 12 with the places they have for playing is low: half of them (47%) are not really satisfied with the spaces for playing and enjoying themselves in their neighbourhood (EBSIB‐IIAB 2017). Historically, not enough attention has been paid to the demands of children and adolescents when it comes to designing play areas or other spaces in the city. If they are asked, it is only occasionally and merely anecdotal with little return from the City Council and little impact on the end result of the design. The report on the public hearing of Barcelona children held in 2001 shows they were calling for play area suggestions to be included that today’s 10 to 12 year-olds have called for in the co- creation process for transforming two city parks (one in Sant Andreu and the other in Nou Barris. In general, they want more variety in the activities on offer to meet everyone’s interests regarding play and physical activity. Although places exclusively for children to play in, such as play areas, are set aside in urban design, children do not limit themselves to playing in those areas, which are often demarcated by an enclosure. Often they make the most of any available pedestrian space, the whole park or the play area surroundings in squares and other recreation spaces. 51 Image 2. Where children say they play in Parc del Central de Nou Barris and Parc de la Pegaso Source: Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents Times for playing in public spaces Children have very little time for free play outdoors. According to the adults who answered the Barcelona Health Survey (ESB‐ASPB, 16‐17), 1 in 4 children aged 3 to 14 never play in the street or the park. There are differences between boys and girls because 29.1% of girls never do compared to 23.3% of boys. Likewise, another source reports that 4 out of 10 children aged 10 to 12 (38%) do not play or spend hardly any time outdoors (between never and, at most, 1 or 2 days a week) with a significant gender difference (42% of girls compared to 35% of boys). (EBSIB‐IIAB, 2017). 52 TABLE 5: Percentage of children aged 10 to 12 who answered “How often do you devote time to ‘playing or spending time outdoors’ outside school?” by district SOURCE: Survey on the Subjective Well-Being of Children in Barcelona (EBSIB), 2017. Half (47%) of children say they are not sufficiently satisfied with the independence they have at home, at school or on the street (EBSIB‐IIAB, 2017). These days adults tend to overprotect children and this translates into a lack of autonomy as regards taking risks when they are playing, or being able to go out or play on their own. Families are key players in whether children play in public space or not in their unscheduled free time, especially those up to 10 or 12 years old The responsibility for looking after children lies with them and it is they who decide how much playtime a child spends in the park or on the street, how much autonomy they have and with what degree of freedom they do so. Often they also decide where. Children’s preferences as regards physical and playful activities Despite extensive literature (especially in the fields of psychology and pedagogy) on what type of play children do as they develop, we hardly know anything about the current, specific and diverse reality of children’s play in Barcelona’s parks. As a starting point, we have the results of the co-creation process with children from two parks, in which 173 children aged 10 to 12 from Sant Andreu and Nou Barris took part. This has enabled the preferences they expressed as regards their own play preferences and those of younger and older children to be documented. (IIAB, 2018). The type of park play children aged 10 to 12 most like involves movement, for example, football, skating, climbing, cycling or skateboarding. Marksmanship and hanging too. As far as more relaxed activities are concerned, they say they prefer going on the internet or listening to music. 53 Chart 3. Park activities children aged 10 to 12 like. 2018. If we analyse these data broken down by sex, the girls said they prefer skating, climbing, jumping, skipping or listening to music. What the boys like doing most is playing football, going on the internet, splashing about and skating. Both say skating is among their favourite activities, but for boys the first relaxed activity, listening to music, is in fourth place, while for girls, going on the internet is in second place More in-depth study is needed on how they use spaces and play, analysing similarities and differences according to sex in school playgrounds as well as public places. As regards doing sport and physical activity, it must be borne in mind that uses and preferences are also determined by social factors such as gender, background, socio- economic level, age and functional diversity. In terms of gender, boys continue to show a higher rate of sports practice than girls (88.3% more). Despite the upward trend (3 points) compared to 2013, data continue to show that some girls give up sport or physical activity in adolescence. Girls aged 13 to 19 say they are twice as physically inactive as boys, 16.7% and 8.4% respectively FRESC‐ ASPB, 2016) As for background, the sport participation rate for school children born in Catalonia is 19% higher than for those born outside Spain. (EHEPEEIBE, 2018) With regard to their socio-economic level, both sexes of students from more disadvantaged neighbourhoods are more physically inactive. But it affects girls more. While 81% of boys and 69% of girls in better-off environments are physically active, 69% and 63% are, respectively, in the disadvantaged neighbourhoods. (FRESC‐ASPB 2016) As far as age is concerned, physical inactivity increases as children grow older, reaching 12% among boys and 23% among girls in their second year of baccalaureate studies . 54 5.2.2 Uses of school playgrounds Uses of school playgrounds in school time. The two main factors determining playground use when it comes to deciding what, where and with whom children play are age and gender. Background as well, to a lesser extent (FJB). In general, there is no inclusion by age, as they usually play apart according to how old they are. Although more than one year might coincide, children rarely mix spontaneously. Segregation of the sexes in school playgrounds is obvious and greater than that of social, background and cultural differences. Two thirds of children find themselves in single-gender groups. Boys go in for more lively activities than girls, who do twice as many stationary activities as boys. Regulated games (especially football) are their favourite, while girls’ activities and those of mixed groups are much more varied and diversified. Because football takes centre stage, girls’ activities are less visible, more on the margins. Boys use the multisport court, all the playground or a corner, in that order, while girls use them in reverse order: first a corner, then the whole playground and finally the sports court. When the ball loses its importance or disappears, playground play changes. The activities become more diversified, as do the relations and groups that form, which become richer. The girls’ lack of visibility is even more extreme in the case of those with a foreign background, who are also segregated from their girl friends. Boys with a foreign background , on the other hand, easily join in boys’ activities through football. Playful uses of school playgrounds open to the neighbourhood Based on the School Playground Programme assessment report (IIAB, 2017), we know the two age bands that use playgrounds open to the neighbourhood the most are the 11 to 15 band (30% of users) and the 21 to 61 band (35% of users). The latter includes groups of young adults who use the playground to play football at the end of the day, and the parents who accompany the youngest population group (14% are between 7 and 10 years old). The type of activities that take place there are related to age. Over half the users (69%) make regular use of the playground, going there on a weekly basis. There are currently two open playground models, depending on the use. One is the youth model, characterised by the presence of adolescents and young people mainly doing sports activities, normally men aged 25 to 30 who go to do one of these two sports for an hour. This group use the playground from 8 pm – or on Sunday morning – and organise a league. The other model is the family model, with a strong presence of children, mums and dads, the AMPA and the AFA. In all, 44% go with their family and 49% with friends. The type of people found in open playgrounds depends on the socio-economic level of the area. Open playgrounds in areas 55 with less family involvement and more disadvantaged socio-economic situations have a more adolescent population and young men who are mainly playing football. In neighbourhoods such as Gràcia, Sants or Eixample, on the other hand, apart from young people, there are more families doing more artistic and family activities. Open playgrounds are still very much male-dominated places. Where there are girls (adolescents), most remain seated while the boys of their group play football or basketball. The type of sports activities, especially football, substantially reduce the girls’ participation or that of small children. This promotes the masculinisation of the space and the play. There are some open playgrounds with few participants that are difficult to get off the ground, especially in the outlying districts, given their socio-economic profile. These include better-off districts (Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Les Corts) as well as areas with a more vulnerable population (Nou Barris, parts of Ciutat Vella, the Besòs strip). The number of people involved in promotional activities varies according to the playground. Some 59% of users say the have never taken part in such activities The reality of each playground differs substantially, with promotional activities working in some and not others. As regards user preferences in relation to directed Open Playground activities, sports activities (75%), “gymkhanas” (29%) and music (26%) are the most sought after by those users surveyed. More family-oriented activities such as storytelling (7%), puppets (9%) or make-up sessions (9%) come last. 5.2.3 Family habits in relation to play areas. The report “Ethnographic Observation of Play Areas in Barcelona. An introduction to family uses and evaluations.” (IIAB 2017) highlights how family habits in relation to play areas vary according to age and parental preference. Families have two types of play area: the everyday ones, which they can use on a daily basis on workdays, especially during the school year, and occasional ones, where they go at weekends in particular. They also have three or four reference play areas that they combine for various reasons, most of all because they are looking for diversity, in terms of the play options they offer as well as type of people or play companions found there, or their location. Play during the week is usually during the afternoon (in the morning, children who do not go to nursery school or day centres) and lasts an hour at most. Sometimes children also stop for a brief impromptu play on the way home. For some parents, play during the week is a regular activity, for others (interviewed at the weekend, and especially with older children) it is sporadic, as the child usually does extracurricular activities so there is no time for it, nor is it considered necessary (especially in winter). Play at the weekend is longer (several hours) and parents look for different play equipment. There are also important differences between summer (more time, warmer, more sunlight hours) and winter, because there is more time for outdoor play in the former. Families value play areas according to their proximity in the everyday circuits of children and the people who look after them: home, school, local facilities, sports centres and so on. Other factors taken into account include the atmosphere, density, features and comfort. 56 The use of play areas tends to drop off from the age of 7 or 8. One of the criteria valued by families is the type of equipment there: innovation and/or difference, maintenance and the ages it is aimed at. They really like to see a diverse range of equipment and versatile spaces where it is possible to play various games or use wheeled equipment (bikes, skates, etc.) • One of the reasons why families choose or discard a play area has to do with the “atmosphere”. A lack of cultural and social affinity with the other families who use it might mean they take a negative view of that play area and avoid using it, even looking for one further away. There are aspects which, from a social perspective, undoubtedly affect other neighbourhood relations, more than those at the play area. According to the families, the person accompanying the child also benefits from play at the park, especially when it means a meeting point with other adults or families, or a place to stay while the child plays on their own. Some parents see it as a boring activity but one they do because it is beneficial for their child. One survey assessing family play time found that 6 out of 10 parents do not even play with their children for a couple of hours a week, either outdoors or somewhere else.1 Although 90% of the youth and adult population (from 15 upwards) say they have a green space near them, 33% have never been there in a normal week during the last year. (ECVHP‐IERMB 2011). 5.2.4 Physical activity habits of young people and adults A third (30%) of the population over the age of 17 does no sport, either in the city’s sports facilities or in public spaces (streets, parks, beaches, etc.). There has been a 16% increase compared to 2013 – 56% compared to 72% in 2017. (EHEB‐IBE, 2017) People over 65, women, people with a low socio-economic level and non-Europeans are the sectors of Barcelona’s population with a major deficit when it comes to doing sport or physical activity. The most active population can be found in certain districts, with Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Gràcia the most active in terms of sports: three out of every four residents do sport. Horta-Guinardó is at the other extreme. Two thirds (67%) of these sports activities have been organised on their own initiative or by other people close to them, such as family members or friends. Generally speaking, they are outdoor activities with equipment and material supplied by the people doing them. Seven spaces have been identified where physical-sports activities take place outside sports facilities in the city: on the street, in a park, at the beach, at home, in the Collserola hills, in a harbour/the sea and school playgrounds (the latter slightly down on 2013). The street is the space most used by 46% of the physically active population, followed by the park and the beach. The people who use the street most for doing sport are those over 45, over 75 in particular, who have not completed compulsory education and who have a low socio-economic level. Parks attract the most people 1 A.Banderas. 2017 Estudio #JuegaConEllos. Survey of 500 parents 57 compared to four years ago (2013) with 24.9% (up 7.8%) doing sport regularly. We find a very similar profile of people here to those who regularly use the street. Maybe the difference is a greater presence of people from outside the European Union and more men, while women and Spanish nationals predominate on the street. 5.2.5 Gender, physical activity and playful activity in public spaces Men and women use city facilities, services and spaces differently. The most notable differences can be seen in the use of facilities and services linked to childcare and sports. Whereas compulsory education schools, nurseries and children’s playgrounds are used more by women, sports facilities and recreation and leisure facilities are used more by men. This squares with the traditional gender roles that are assigned to women while also leaving more leisure time for men. (City Council Gender Justice Plan, 2016). Women suffer from time poverty. A lack of time is the main reason for both men and women not doing any physical or sports activity but women spend less time than men on personal care, participation in community life, sport and outdoor activities, social life, leisure activities and their hobbies, due to the unequal division of care and everyday tasks. As regards who accompanies children to play areas, there are 25% more women than men. Physical activity habits of children and adolescents A sedentary way of life is a growing problem among children and young people, especially girls: 17% of teenage girls/young women (13‐19) are physically inactive, more than double the number of teenage boys/young men (8%). (FRESC‐ASPB 2016) There has been a slight increase in physical-sports activity among the school-age population (6-16) across the city, which rose from 63% to 71% between 2013 and 2018. The most common playful and physical-sports activities are football and indoor football (28%), cycling (26%), walking (24%), running (22%) and skating in all its varieties (20%). (EHEPEEB‐IBE 2018). 58 5.3 Summary 1. For the first time, Barcelona now has a diagnosis of the city’s recreation infrastructure and an initial picture of the playful uses of public space. There are still gaps in the specific qualitative analysis of all state-run schools or playful spaces. But, above all, we need to know more about outdoor physical and playful activity in the urban environment. This would tell us where the most pressure of activity in public space is and what play and physical activity interests, needs and dynamics there are in the city’s playful ecosystem framework. 2. The analysis presented here, more than simply enabling greater knowledge of the opportunities for play in public space in Barcelona, has laid the basis for managing information on play areas and whether they are play friendly. A system of indicators has been created and a database generated to monitor the situation and gradually add to it with more information on other playful infrastructure. Map 13 Location of playful infrastructure 2018 Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council 3. The city’s play areas offer good coverage in terms of their proximity to where children live or their school, so the problem with them does not lie in how many there are but rather in their quality. They are very standardised and fall short in terms of their playability, diversity and accessibility. Generally speaking, their design prioritises safety, maintenance and adults’ peace of mind. They still do not pay sufficient attention to the interests of diverse, creative and inclusive play, failing to take into account all ages, children’s functional abilities 59 and the needs of adults that have to look after them, in order to make them more habitable environments. 4. Overall, the recreation infrastructure in the city’s urban environment is not diverse enough to offer inclusive activities that appeal to the diverse ages. They offer a limited range of possibilities for managing risks and for challenging play designed, above all, for adolescents and young people. The latter only have the sports facilities and equipment the city offers them, nowhere that would enable them to do other playful activities they are also interested in, such as dancing or just public places where they can meet and chat. Intergenerational play is practically non-existent. Only the sports facilities and equipment mentioned enable this interaction between different ages to take place and they are essential for offering young people, grown-ups and elderly people the chance to enjoy free, non-organised, physical and playful activity in the public space. 5. Generally, throughout the urban environment, but especially in the play areas and school playgrounds, there is little contact with nature and possibilities for play with natural elements. Despite the importance of being in touch with greenery and natural elements, half of the city’s play areas are not in green spaces. This restricts the opportunities for play in a natural environment and with elements such as water, which has a great deal of playful potential. 6. School playgrounds provide an opportunity to offer free enriching play to students in school time, as well as for community uses if they are opened up to the neighbourhood the rest of the time. Either way, there are still deficiencies in terms of a design that could encourage diversified play, coeducation and more natural, greener surroundings. 7. Green spaces offer great potential as playful spaces, whether or not they have a play area, due to their size and diversity. But there is still a need to improve their habitability by adding urban furniture and facilities that meet important everyday needs and encourage people to meet and stay there. They are able to accommodate numerous options for playful activity for all ages, fostering intergenerational play, because they are much bigger than the average play area and combine wide-open spaces, including natural features, with urban furniture and equipment for play and physical activity. 8. The city has many other spaces for playing in, apart from the play areas (sports courts, pedestrian-only streets, superblocks, traffic-calmed streets, etc.) and the natural environment (Collserola, the Besòs riverbed and the beaches) which ensure play is not restricted to exclusive spaces but integrated into the city. They are part of its play space provision and playful ecosystems. They have the potential for being inclusive community spaces that legitimise playful uses of public space alongside other activities. 9. Sant Martí, Nou Barris, Horta‐Guinardó and Sants‐Montjuïc are the districts that offer the most complete recreation infrastructure. Those parts of the city with the biggest deficit in infrastructure of this nature (in residential areas and where a lack of play areas coincides with a lack of green spaces, as well as being a long way from natural spaces) are the Dreta de l’Eixample, Sants‐Badal, Sant Gervasi‐Galvany, El Putxet i el Farró, La Font d’en Fargues, El Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou, El Poblenou and Provençals del Poblenou neighbourhoods. 60 Map 14. Deficits in recreation infrastructure 2018 Source: Barcelona Regional, based on data from Barcelona City Council 10. Children do not play freely enough outdoors, because 29% of girls and 23% of boys never play in the park or on the street. Half of them also say they lack autonomy at home, on the street and at school, and that they are not very satisfied with the spaces for playing in the city. 11. There is a gender gap in the uses of and play in school playgrounds, both inside and outside school hours, as well as in physical activity. Physical inactivity among girls and young women (17%) is double that among boys and young men (8%). Ball games in the central part of the playground make other playful activities often favoured by girls less visible. 12. Those sections of the population who do less physical activity and have a more sedentary lifestyle are women, people in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, people over 65 and people born outside the European Union. 13. The uses of recreation spaces and play areas by families enable us to think in terms of a locally based playful ecosystem. They frequent three of four reference zones depending on their daily routes as pedestrians and look for safe, comfortable environments that complement each other because they offer different ideas for playful activity. They need safe, comfortable environments in play spaces, not just in urban planning and infrastructure terms but also social terms, with positive community relationships. At weekends and during school holidays they look for places to play that are further away from where they live or the school their children go to. 61 6. 2030 Horizon and targets: Barcelona a playable city 6.1 Horizon 2030 Now we are going to present six visions of a playable city. A vision of the city developed and agreed with the various city players and stakeholders involved in the drafting stage of the Plan: municipal technical managers, associations, organisations, city consultative bodies and municipal party groups. A necessary perspective that sketches the horizon of a city better for children and everyone, broken down into goals and achievable targets. 1. A city where children enjoy their right to play and leisure time and where everyone rediscovers their taste for playing in public spaces Barcelona, a city model that invites children and young people to play a leading role in the everyday life of the city, to go out, meet up and play on the streets, in the parks and in the squares, because children and their well-being are among its top priorities. A city whose citizens are imbued with the habit and pleasure of playing at all ages, starting with the youngest, but where adults and elderly people enjoy intergenerational play and places in which to spend time that are also adapted to their needs. A city that recognises the social importance and collective benefits of play as an important urban policy in line with the strategies of a healthy, educating, inclusive, accessible and sustainable city. 2. A city that promotes health, all-round development and well- being through outdoor play and physical activity A Barcelona that takes care of the play and leisure time of both children and adolescents, as a human right that is just as important for their healthy development as food, housing, health and education, as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reminds us. A city that encourages healthy living and promotes and believes physical and playful activity is important in everyday life because of its benefits for physical health, combating sedentary lifestyles, child obesity and screen addiction, as well as in mental health and emotional well-being, risk management, resilience and personal autonomy. A city with opportunities and educationally rich, playful urban environments offering lots of options for creative and challenging play that incorporate the main activities and playful needs of young children and adolescents to stimulate the types of learning (motor, emotional, cognitive and social) that are vital for all-round development. 62 3. A city that offers and integrates more and better opportunities for play Barcelona, a city with quality spaces and opportunities for play that are well-designed, co-educational, safe and stimulating, which relies on children’s opinions and suggestions that are not limited to play areas and which has infrastructure, urban furniture and features that stimulate play throughout the urban environment but especially around parks, squares and schools. A city that incorporates recreation infrastructure planning within the framework of playful ecosystems as another dimension of urban planning, to ensure access to quality, local play spaces with a territorial balance that ensures fairness, while making the most of the potential and diversity in each neighbourhood, based on shared criteria for the whole city. A city where schools are neighbourhood facilities with permeable boundaries and where more use is made of their playgrounds for community playful activities, with immediate surroundings that can serve as places and spaces to spend time and play in, and school paths that really are more playful and safer, encouraging autonomous, sustainable mobility. 4. A city with greened, safe and traffic-calmed settings that allow people to play on the street A Barcelona with more green infrastructure in a more natural public space that favours outdoor physical activity, based on respect, play in contact with nature, greenery and diverse natural elements, particularly sand and water, in a sustainable city facing up to the global challenge of climate change. A Barcelona with ample traffic-calmed zones that increase safety for children and adolescents while reclaiming public space for citizen use, giving priority to pedestrians and spaces on the streets where people can meet and play in environments with less air and noise pollution. 5. A city that stimulates inclusive play, taking into account the diversity of ages, genders, backgrounds and functional abilities Barcelona, a city that encourages playful uses of public space with designs and features to encourage playful activity among everyone from 0 to 99 and which promotes intergenerational relations, whether adults are playing or doing physical activity, or they are accompanying children or sharing spaces with other uses (such as responsible pet ownership). A city where everyone, whatever their sex or social or cultural background, feels welcome to play in inclusive spaces that respect social diversity, that incorporate a gender perspective and are co-educational. A city that promotes inclusive play spaces that give shape to the right to universal accessibility around playful spaces and equipment, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities or functional diversity, whether they are children playing or adults accompanying them. 63 6. A city that enriches community life and a mix of people and uses around play A Barcelona that encourages shared, cooperative and intergenerational play with ideas that incorporate the need to collaborate in order to maximise the psychosocial benefits of play and encourage shared playful activity between children, young people and adults. A city where playful spaces are conceived as a community resource and meeting place for diverse activities that go beyond play and which, therefore, take into account the needs of everyday life with designs, urban features and community interventions that make them suitable for passing time and reducing social isolation. A city that makes the most of and takes into account citizen initiatives with regard to the diverse and positive uses of public space, as well as the importance of finding out and considering the specific interests of children, adolescents and young people, and the important role they have in co-designing and being responsible for managing and ensuring suitable uses of public space. A city that facilitates more free time for children, a better balance in the different uses of time and more joint social responsibility for the tasks of looking after children, making it easier for neighbours to meet, so they can weave community relations and enrich community life in the neighbourhoods around play spaces. 6.2 Key milestones of the 2030 Plan Based on the diagnosis and vision of horizon 2030, 10 major targets have been set that are measurable and communicable and which we intend to reach by 2030. The aim of these targets it to make the strategy easier to get across and make clear the commitment to change in the city. When defining them, we have taken into account the availability of data as a starting point, in order to establish the point we want to be at in 2030. Monitoring the achievement of these targets will be one of the essential tools for evaluating the Public Space Play Plan. Target 1: Double the number of play areas with a diversity of playful activities Guarantee diverse and creative play in play areas by DOUBLING the number that offer a diverse range of play, that is, at least six of the main playful activities: sliding, climbing, swinging, rocking, maintaining balance, jumping, feeling dizzy, running/riding, hiding, experimenting, role-playing, expressing yourself, meeting up/relaxing.  Starting point 2018: o 23% of play areas offer a diverse range of playful activities  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 50% of play areas offer a diverse range of playful activities 64 Target 2: Ensure minimum size and playability standards for play areas Ensure some minimum size and playability standards for play areas by REDUCING the number that are too small (less than 50 m2) and RENOVATING those that do not have enough variety in their playful activities (those that offer less than three).  Starting point 2018: o 4% of play areas have less than 50m2 o 16% of play areas offer insufficient playful activities  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 0% of play areas have less than 50m2 o 0% of play areas offer insufficient playful activities Target 3: Increase the possibilities for sand and water play in playful spaces and play areas Reverse the deficit in sand and water play in play areas by INCREASING the spaces for splashing about and cooling down, as well as the possibilities of playing with sand (in demarcated sand pits or on sandy ground, which does not necessarily have to cover all the area to facilitate physical accessibility.  Starting point 2018: o 2 spaces for splashing about and cooling down o 70% of play areas offer the possibility of playing with sand  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 10 spaces for splashing about and cooling down (in the districts furthest from the sea) o 80% of play areas offer possibilities for playing with sand Target 4: Double the play facilities that entail challenges and risk management opportunities for adolescents and young people in playful spaces Double the possibilities of play involving challenges and risk management especially for adolescents and young people, with urban sports parks for skateboarding, skating and scooters (large skate parks), ziplines, giant slides (sloping or slide boards) and play features with a height challenge (3D nets over three metres high).  Starting point 2018: o 4 urban sports parks o 9 ziplines o 8 giant slides o 10 pieces of play equipment with a height challenge  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 10 urban sports parks o 20 ziplines o 15 giant slides o 20 pieces of play equipment with a height challenge 65 Target 5: Increase the opportunities for shared play throughout the urban environment Promote shared, collaborative play and group physical activity outdoors with HALF of all certified play equipment apt for group play and different ages (basket swings, wide slides, revolving equipment, etc.) and INCREASING the sports equipment in public spaces (off-court table-tennis tables and basketball baskets).  Starting point 2018: o 11 % of play equipment encourages shared play o 191 table-tennis tables o 84 basketball baskets  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 50% of play equipment encourages shared play o 250 table-tennis tables o 150 basketball baskets Target 6: Increase inclusive play and accessibility INCREASE the play opportunities for people with functional diversity, thus encouraging inclusive play, as well as play area accessibility by improving universal accessibility design and increasing the play equipment certified as inclusive.  Starting point 2018: o 25% of play areas are accessible and have inclusive-certified equipment  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 100% of new and renovated play areas are accessible and have inclusive- certified equipment Target 7: Improve the habitability of playful spaces with toilets, tables, fountains and shade o 66 Target 8: Double the number of playgrounds adapted for diversified, co-educational play in natural surroundings Improve school playgrounds so they encourage greater play diversification and co-education in more natural and sustainable surroundings by DOUBLING the state primary and secondary schools with suitable playgrounds (based on play-friendly, gender and sustainability criteria) and community uses (outside school hours), like those schools that are already in the process of transforming their playgrounds.  Starting point 2018: o 30% of state schools believe they have suitable playgrounds or are in the process of transforming them and giving them community uses.  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 60% of state schools have suitable playgrounds that offer community uses (at least 120 playgrounds). Target 9: 100 school surroundings with meeting places following micro-interventions Improve all environmentally unsuitable primary and secondary school surroundings to encourage socialisation by gradually INCREASING the micro-interventions at school entrances to turn them into suitable spaces and places to spend time in, and which encourage impromptu play.  Starting point 2018: o 4 school surroundings improved  Finishing point, at the latest 2030: o 100 school surroundings improved Target 10: Increase recreational and physical activity among children and adolescents and reduce the gender gap Reverse the sedentary lifestyle trend and deficit in active outdoor play during childhood and adolescence in the city by significantly REDUCING the physical inactivity rates (insufficient activity or sedentary lifestyle) among adolescents and young people (aged 13 to 19), especially teenage girls, as well as the percentage of children (aged 3 to 14) who do not devote even one day a week to playing in the park or on the street. (Sources: FRESC 16 and ESB 16/17ASPB)  Starting point 2018: o 29% of girls never play in the park or street o 23% of boys never play in the park or street o 17% of teenage girls and young women are physically inactive o 8% of teenage boys and young men are physically inactive  Finishing point 2030: o 18% of girls never play in the park or street o 15% of boys never play in the park or street o 10% of teenage girls and young women are physically inactive o 5% of teenage boys and young men are physically inactive 67 7. Operational contents of the Plan The operational contents of the Play Plan are arranged in the following manner: Public Space Play Plan 3 strategic lines 14 objectives 63 actions 10 lead projects 7.1 Strategic lines The Plan is divided into the following three strategic lines of action in order to move towards the 2030 horizon of a playable city: •This line includes all those actions aimed at providing more and better opportunities for play and physical activity in Line 1. public spaces by equipping them with a playful infrastructure designed and planned with the new More and better play criteria. That means actions for creating, diversifying and spaces in the urban improving different kinds of play spaces in three layers: environment: first, the play areas and school playgrounds; second, parks Playful infrastructure in and squares as playful spaces, as well as school a playable city surroundings; and, third, other outdoor urban spaces where play or physical activity takes place more or less spontaneously. Line 2. •This line covers a whole series of actions aimed at stimulating the uses of and time devoted to palyful Stimulating playful activity in public spaces in the city. Apart from having a and physical activity good playful infrastructure, we need to promote playful outdoors: uses so people acquire the taste again for playing and playful uses in a city of doing physical activity outdoors and make the most of the play opportunities offered by the city’s urban environment. Line 3. •This line covers actions aimed at driving a paradigm shift among the general public and in the local authority so they Promote a paradigm recognise and realise the value and social importance of shift: play as well as its individual and collective benefits, play gains ground in the especially of free, shared, outdoor play, starting in city childhood and adolescence. 68 7.2 General objectives of the Play Plan The three strategic lines comprise the following 14 general objectives: Line 1. More and better play spaces in the urban environment: playful infrastructure in a playable city 1. Design play areas as well as playful spaces and urban furniture that offer better opportunities for diverse, safe, stimulating and inclusive play, taking adolescence, diverse backgrounds, universal accessibility and a gender perspective into account. 2. Improve opportunities for play and socialisation in and out of school, by turning school entrances into squares and their playgrounds into a community resource. 3. Plan and create more recreation infrastructure with proximity, density and equality criteria in playful ecosystems that make the most of the potential and characteristics of each neighbourhood, while seeking to maintain a territorial balance in the city. 4. Increase the opportunities and space available for playing in the street, encouraging casual, spontaneous play around the city in safer environments. 5. Create pleasant outdoor environments that foster social links and community life around play by incorporating the everyday needs of children, young people and the grown-ups who look after them into urban design. Line 2. Stimulating playful and physical activity in the streets and open air: playful uses in a city of play 6. Encourage children and adolescents to go out and play in the streets, squares and parks with as much autonomy as possible. 7. Promote intergenerational play and the habit of playing and doing physical activity outdoors among all ages, especially in green spaces. 8. Facilitate social-entity or citizen initiatives linked to playful and physical activity that stimulate diverse and positive uses of public spaces. 9. Enable playful spaces and school surroundings to become meeting points and places for community life with various uses, not just play. Line 3. Promote a paradigm shift: play gains ground in the city 10. Raise awareness and recognition of the social importance of play, as well as its individual and collective benefits for everyone. 11. Increase the time children and adolescents have for free play as part of a social reorganisation of the ways people use their leisure time, achieving a work-life balance and democratising care tasks. 12. Promote citizen co-design and co-responsibility, above all on the part of children and adolescents, to take into account and increase the sense of belonging and an attitude of taking care of the urban environment. 13. Generate knowledge of and evaluate the opportunities and playful uses of public space in order to understand them and the progress, backwards steps and impacts on the general public, especially on children and adolescents, as well as on the quality of community life and the urban environment. 69 14. Boost municipal services and resources for adequately implementing and coordinating the Play Plan’s general objectives and its execution as an urban policy. 7.3 Actions proposed by Public Space Play Plan Both the time-frame, as well as the targets and actions proposed in this Plan, call for a paradigm shift in the long term, that is, by 2030. However, in the medium term, a midpoint assessment is planned for 2024, when actions will be updated and rescheduled for the second phase of the Plan, from 2025 to 2030. The 63 actions for achieving the 14 objectives of the 3 strategic lines of action are described in the following pages. Each action fact sheet includes a brief description and specifies the key players involved, with collaborating players in brackets. A final section offers the planned schedule. The actions highlighted in grey are those regarded as lead projects given their importance, and they are described in detail, with more extensive fact files in the following section, 7.4. LINE 1. More and better play spaces in the urban environment: playful infrastructure in a playable city Objective 1 - Design play areas as well as playful spaces and urban furniture that offer better opportunities for diverse, safe, stimulating and inclusive play, taking adolescence, diverse backgrounds, universal accessibility and a gender perspective into account. Action N. 1 Incorporate play area design criteria geared towards improving play quality in all new and renovation projects. More specifically, this means ensuring that, gradually, all play areas offer a number of options for creative, challenging play for healthy child development (criterion 1); that the physical space itself is diverse, stimulating, connected and accessible (criterion 2); that play spaces are inclusive for all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities (criterion 3); that they offer play with natural elements such as water and sand (criterion 4); and that priority is given to equipment that fosters shared, intergenerational and collective play (criterion 5). These and the other environment-related criteria will be specified with minimum standards for sufficient play quality in the operational design handbook that will be drawn up in 2019. Main players involved DISTRICTS, URBAN MODEL and PARKS AND GARDENS (IMPD) Time-frame 2019-2030 70 Action N. 2 Reorganise and rethink the play areas from a territorial and proactive perspective based on minimum quality standards. Play areas need renovating every so often, owing to their use and to ensure the play equipment is well maintained and in good condition. This periodic action in the maintenance schedule offers the possibility of adapting play areas to new, playable quality criteria. But, more than the opportunity that annual renovation or the creation of new areas represent, this action means being proactive and pressing ahead with an analysis of each district to remove or replace areas, especially the priority cases with major shortcomings, not just in terms of maintenance. Main players involved URBAN MODEL, PARKS AND GARDENS Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 3 Promote the recreation space model as a priority and decrease the number of poor quality, standardised play areas. In parks, squares, gardens and block interiors where play takes place alongside other uses and where it is possible to promote more versatile uses, we need to rethink the space overall in terms of a recreation space, expanding the range of play opportunities as a whole, instead of reducing them to designated areas, set aside exclusively for play. An effort will be made to ensure some of these recreation spaces are particularly special and emblematic, in order to create some iconic places where it is possible to go and play in the city and highlight the social importance of these play environments. The technical guidelines for these recreation spaces will also be included in the operational design handbook. Main players involved URBAN MODEL, PARKS AND GARDENS Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 4 Renovate and decrease the number of poor quality, standardised play areas. The idea is to study, case by case, the possibilities for renovating and/or removing and replacing with 2 alternatives, excessively small play areas (less than 50 m ) which offer fewer than three different activities, are over-standardised and unnecessarily demarcated by enclosures. Main players involved URBAN MODEL, PARKS AND GARDENS Time-frame 2019-2030 71 Action N. 5 Create playful areas designed for adolescents and young people. Create playful spaces expressly taking into account the interests and needs of adolescents and young people for somewhere to play and gather. Spaces with legitimate uses (features that enable artistic expression, such as stepping, mirrors, walls, as well as parkour, etc.) as spelt out in the Adolescence and Youth Plan (2017-2021) and based on the analysis of uses in the adolescent hub at the future Glòries Canopy. Main players involved DISTRICTS, URBAN MODEL and PARKS AND GARDENS (YOUTH and IBE) Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 6 Incorporate play features for adults and elderly people apt for play at all ages and intergenerational as well. Incorporate play features for adults and elderly people apt for play at all ages and also intergenerational play in recreation spaces, so that, gradually, all the neighbourhoods have active play options with certified equipment, for sport (health circuits, callisthenics, etc.) and play with swings, slides and ziplines, apt from 0 upwards. Main players involved PARKS AND GARDENS, DISTRICTS and IBE Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 7 Increase the opportunities for playing with water as an essential resource in the city’s recreation infrastructure. Increase the opportunities for playing with water as an essential resource in the city’s recreation infrastructure through three lines of action: one, installing drinking-water fountains that are easy for children to use in recreation spaces and the vicinity of play areas, with a dual purpose – hydration and play; two, adapting spaces for splashing about and cooling down in during the summer season; three, incorporating a water play kit in the summer for the “Let’s play in the squares” programme. Always use water for human consumption responsibly. Lead project. See file N.7 Main players involved PARKS AND GARDENS (BCASA, ASPB, DISTRICTS and IBE) Time-frame 2019-2030 72 Action N. 8 Pilot and consolidate the adventure playground model, putting the emphasis on free, creative play. This means introducing, piloting and ensuring the city adopts a model that is well-established in European countries aimed at creating somewhere for children aged 8 to 10 and adolescents, conceived as an evening, weekend and holiday service supervised by specialist staff which offers opportunities for experimental, creative and free play, assuming risks in a safe environment by means of self-directed activity based on handling and building with waste and natural materials (fabrics, wheels, card, earth, wood, water, etc.) Study possible locations (Besòs riverbed, Montjuïc) and types of management. Main players involved URBAN MODEL Time-frame 2021-2030 Action N. 9 Incorporate playable urban features in the urban furniture catalogue. Incorporate playable urban features in the urban furniture catalogue, based on the prototyping carried out and applied in the La Verneda neighbourhood under the Neighbourhood Plan. The intention is to gradually scale up various types of micro-interventions in the urban environment as a whole, based on some ten playable features that have been prototyped, to encourage play while taking accessibility criteria and a gender perspective into account. Main players involved URBAN MODEL, FOMENT (PARKS AND GARDENS, URBAN LANDSCAPE, IMPD) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 10 Expand the recreation resources with mobile play areas. Expand the recreation resources with mobile play areas for tactical urban planning actions that enable certain public spaces in disuse to be converted for other playful uses, or the incorporation of the playable layer in pedestrian-only spaces such as the superblocks. This is a play area rolled out from a container that can be co-designed and co-managed with the community and there are plans to evaluate its uses. Main players involved PARKS AND GARDENS (URBAN MODEL) Time-frame 2020-2030 73 Objective 2 - Improve opportunities for play and socialisation in and out of school, by turning school entrances into squares and their playgrounds into a community resource. Action N. 11 Transform school playgrounds by diversifying their play options, co-education and greening, and giving them community uses. Work has already been done to provide new schools with more suitable playgrounds and now it is a matter of gradually systematising and transforming all municipal-run school playgrounds, primary and secondary, based on updating the playground inventory, systematising criteria and offering exchange forums and resources (guide, support, funding, etc.). See file for lead project N.5 Main players BARCELONA EDUCATION CONSORTIUM involved (CATALAN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, EDUCATING CITY, IMEB, SCHOOLS, AMPA and AFA parents’ associations, DISTRICT AND CITY SCHOOL COUNCILS, MORE SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS from the Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility Area, PARKS AND GARDENS, GENDER MAINSTREAMING, IMPD, Social entities and specialist companies with experience in this field) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 12 Urban micro-interventions in school surroundings to turn them into places and spaces for meeting people, community life and impromptu play. Based on the experiences of the Eixample district with the measure “Let’s fill school surroundings with life” or Ciutat Vella under the Neighbourhood Plan, the aim here is to encourage social interaction among children and adults from the school community and the neighbourhood round school entrances, while gradually promoting micro-interventions round the whole city to gain pavement and/or corner space, comfortable urban furniture for interaction and possibilities for spontaneous play. See file for lead project N.6 Main players DISTRICTS involved (URBAN MODEL, MOBILITY, EDUCATING CITY, BARCELONA EDUCATION CONSORTIUM, SCHOOLS, AMPA and AFA parents’ associations, DISTRICT AND CITY SCHOOL COUNCILS, CITY POLICE) Time-frame 2019-2030 74 Action N. 13 Boost the “School Playgrounds Open to the Neighbourhood” programme Boost the “School Playgrounds Open to the Neighbourhood” programme in various ways: gradually incorporate municipal nursery playgrounds, increase the number of municipal secondary school playgrounds where opportune, include inclusive measures for children with disabilities, pilot experiences of diversifying play with specialist staff, highlighting cultural diversity and the loan of material in conjunction with neighbourhood groups and associations, taking the evaluation carried out into account and designing a more in-depth one, while updating the programme so it fits into the recreation ecosystem framework and incorporates diverse formulas that include, in particular, transformed playgrounds with the necessary resources. Main players IMEB involved (DISTRICTS, EDUCATION CONSORTIUM, IMPD and IBE) Time-frame 2020-2030 Objective 3 - Plan and create more recreation infrastructure with proximity, density and equality criteria in recreation ecosystems that make the most of the potential and characteristics of each neighbourhood, while seeking to maintain a territorial balance in the city. Action N. 14 Plan city recreation infrastructure in the medium and long term within the recreation ecosystem framework, while ensuring it is adequately maintained and cleaned. Plan city recreation infrastructure in the medium and long term within the recreation ecosystem framework, while ensuring it is adequately maintained and cleaned, by district and based on criteria such as urban development opportunities (renovating areas, improving parks, creating new spaces, etc.), current deficits identified in the recreation infrastructure map and diagnosis or the social needs in different parts of the city, with an equality, density and accessibility perspective based on the mapping of opportunities and needs. This means pressing ahead with making the recreation infrastructure and ecosystem concepts operational and incorporating them as one more important dimension of city planning, as well as guiding the district councils when making decisions on the opportunities and needs for recreation spaces in their district. Main players involved URBAN MODEL, PARKS AND GARDENS (IBE, IMPD, DISTRICTS, BR and IIAB) Time-frame 2020-2025 75 Action N. 15 Co-create new urban sports parks for small-wheel sports such as skateboarding, skating, scooting, etc. Co-create new urban sports parks for small-wheel sports such as skateboarding, skating, scooting, etc., so all the districts have these free, outdoor recreation infrastructures. This not only means opening new ones but also exploring co-creation and co-management formulas for these parks that involve young people in these processes. See file for lead project N.8 Main players involved IBE (DISTRICTS, YOUTH, CJB and SPECIALIST SPORTS ORGANISATIONS) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 16 Increase and diversify sports equipment for motor play and physical activity from 0 to 99 years of age. Increase and diversify sports equipment for motor play and physical activity from 0 to 99 years of age spread around the city (table-tennis tables, basketball baskets, pétanque courts, etc.) In particular, that means the widespread availability of physical activity equipment in recreation spaces, giving priority to those districts and areas with less, based on mapping and the 2019 Municipal Sports Facilities Plan. Likewise, it means incorporating equipment suitable for children and at the right height. Main players involved DISTRICTS and IBE (PARKS AND GARDENS) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 17 Create a large, innovative recreation space for all ages (0 to 99) in the natural surroundings of the seafront Create a large, innovative recreation space for all ages (0 to 99) in the natural surroundings of the seafront, taking advantage of its transformation to make it a new, benchmark space gained by the city to encourage everyone to play and do physical activity, one that is designed to expand and diversify the recreation infrastructure by piloting new play options without standardised play areas. Main players involved URBAN MODEL (IBE) Time-frame 2020-2030 76 Action N. 18 Promote the natural surroundings of the beaches, Collserola, the Besòs riverbed, Montjuïc and the Tres Turons park as spaces for play. Given the shortage of play options in contact with nature, Barcelona needs to promote its unique natural surroundings to encourage their playful uses by, among other things, piloting the Barcelona Metropolitan Area environmental play centre model in the city and taking steps to develop playful uses for the beaches outside the summer season. Main players involved URBAN ECOLOGY (IBE) Time-frame 2020-2030 Objective 4 - Increase the opportunities and space available for playing in the street, encouraging casual, spontaneous play around the city in safer environments. Action N. 19 Sundays for play and recreation on the street: one main street in each district closed to traffic every Sunday morning. Following the example of a number of streets (Gran de Gràcia, Consell de Cent, etc.) in recent years, and as a measure to supplement permanent pedestrianisation in the superblocks or other parts of the city, this means temporarily closing a main street in each district on Sunday mornings in order to gain, for a period, new public space for outdoor play and physical activity, promoting healthy habits that improve the well-being and quality of leisure shared by local residents, starting with children. See file for lead project N.2 Main players involved URBAN MODEL, MOBILITY and DISTRICTS (IBE, FOMENT) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 20 Study the creation of a network of pedestrian paths in the city that incorporate the enjoyment of free time, taking a stroll and playing on the street while promoting everyday mobility on foot. Study the creation of a network of pedestrian paths in the city incorporating play on the street, as well as enjoying a stroll and free time there, while promoting everyday mobility on foot. This means analysing and designing, while taking into account the experience and scope of existing paths, small changes to prioritise and facilitate mobility on foot, going for a stroll, leisure and play in the diverse networks of everyday life, within the recreation ecosystem framework, and integrating that into the city's urban model. Main players involved URBAN MODEL AND MOBILITY (DISTRICTS) Time-frame 2020-2030 77 Action N. 21 Create safer environments, with universal accessibility, around play areas and recreation spaces as well as schools. Create safer environments, with universal accessibility, around play areas and recreation spaces, as well as schools, by means of various measures combined with interrupting traffic at times when children are going in or coming out of school, traffic calming and widening the pavement area for pedestrians, along with other measures that create an environmental safety perimeter around recreation spaces and schools to facilitate safe access and encourage independent child and adolescent mobility in a less polluted urban environment. Main players involved DISTRICTS and IBE (URBAN ECOLOGY, IMEB, IMPD, CITY POLICE) Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 22 Rethink the school path programme. Rethink the school path programme to link and fit it in with broader city strategies for sustainable mobility and promoting play on the street, bearing in mind the objective of the paths is to encourage children and adolescents to walk to school on their own, and evaluate the results of the programme. Main players involved IMEB Time-frame 2019-2021 Objective 5 - Create pleasant outdoor environments that foster social links and community life around play by incorporating the everyday needs of children, young people and the grown-ups who look after them into urban design. Action N. 23 Open café-bars in recreation spaces to offer toilets and the loan of a basic set of games This means increasing the number of café-bars in parks and gardens with a threefold service objective: ensuring free access to toilets with no charge, especially where there are more children and elderly people; offering a loan service with a basic set of play items (foam ball, rope, bucket and spade, chalk, badminton set, board games, etc.); and covering the needs of adults looking after children while making it easier for the latter to play on their own, thus improving everyone’s well- being while increasing play time and quality. See file for lead project N.9 Main players involved PARKS AND GARDENS DISTRICTS and IBE Time-frame 2019-2030 78 Action N. 24 Explore promoting collaboration with commercial establishments in squares, especially cafés or bars with a terrace. Explore promoting collaboration with commercial establishments in squares, especially cafés or bars with a terrace, to decide how they can collaborate in providing free toilet access and in loaning a basic set of games. Main players involved DISTRICTS Time-frame 2020-2025 Action N. 25 Increase urban furniture, taking everyday needs into account and create pleasant areas to spend time in around the city, especially around recreation spaces and play areas. Mainly benches, fountains and shade. This means installing more furniture for sitting on and arranged for chatting, more picnic tables, drinking-water fountains and shaded areas (as envisaged in the Climate Plan) so these become more pleasant places for people to meet socially and pass their time in, in a more habitable city. It means considering how to prevent the risks of improper uses at night and/or ensuring the perception of safety from a gender perspective. Adapting this to the Everyday Urban Planning Manual Main players involved PARKS AND GARDENS (URBAN MODEL, DISTRICTS and GENDER MAINSTREAMING) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 26 Introduce more greenery into recreation spaces and play area surroundings. Introduce more greenery into recreation spaces and play area surroundings to create more natural and more comfortable environments to spend time in. This will also make it possible to reduce the deficit of play in contact with green and natural elements, thus helping to reverse the green deficit and the impacts of climate change, and to move towards becoming a more resilient city (as envisaged in the Green Plan and the Climate Plan). Main players involved PARKS AND GARDENS (DISTRICTS) Time-frame 2019-2030 79 LINE 2. Stimulating playful and physical activity outdoors: playful uses in a city of play Objective 6 - Encourage children and adolescents to go out and play in the streets, squares and parks with as much autonomy as possible. Action N. 27 “Let’s play in the squares”. Programme with mobile recreation options to encourage meeting up and playing in the city’s squares. This means scaling up this valuable experience, already being promoted in some neighbourhood squares, with actions throughout the year that, periodically and moving to different squares, promote activities with game kiosks (traditional games, circus, board games, games from around the world, etc.), large-scale games, pop-up interventions for free, creative, experimental and discovery play, water games for the summer, foam ball championships and so on. See file for lead project N.3 Main players DISTRICTS involved (EDUCATING CITY and IBE) Time-frame 2020-2025 Action N. 28 Include more public space recreation options at summer camps and day centres, and in open centres, toy libraries and children's play centres. Include more public space recreation options at summer camps and day centres, and in open centres, toy libraries and children's play centres during the summer holidays and the school year, as well as at youth centres, JIP (Young person, find out and take part) points, the Baobab educational leisure programme and so on. It also means gradually including activities with an intergenerational and intercultural dimension and a gender perspective. Main players involved DISTRICTS, IBE, IMSS, IMEB, CHILDHOOD and YOUTH Time-frame 2020-2025 Action N. 29 Play Support Service for children with functional diversity. Based on the bathing support service at the city beaches in the summer, and with the aim of promoting inclusive play in public spaces for all children without discrimination, it is proposed to set up the Play Support Service with a person to assist children with functional diversity to play independently and interact with other children who have no disability. See file for lead project N.3 Main players involved IMPD (IBE, Citizen Agreement Independent Living Network) Time-frame 2020-2030 80 Objective 7 - Promote intergenerational play and the habit of playing and doing physical activity outdoors among all ages, especially in green spaces. Action N. 30 Play for everyone in the heart of the city with the opening of an outdoor toy library for all ages (0 to 99) in a central spot. This means exploring the possibility of starting up a game space at an outdoor spot in the city’s nerve 2 centre, following the example of R’ de Jeux in Paris (1,000 m in the central Place de la République) with intergenerational and intercultural games, which invites play, thus creating a leading playful spot in the city that encourages people to devote time to play and also reclaiming the heart of the city as a place to stay and meet up. It consists of a service with a kiosk/café as a permanent toy library (because it opens out and closes up, and is open at different times and on different days, depending on the season. This service loans out equipment and board games, space with tables, chairs, parasols and places for playing in, and provides professional toy librarians offering advice and creates a play atmosphere for all ages, thus facilitating shared play – intergenerational, intercultural or as a family. Main players FOMENT involved Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 31 Get local facilities (libraries, civic centres, neighbourhood centres and creation factories) to promote and schedule outdoor playful activities. This means looking into how libraries, civic centres, neighbourhood centres and “creation factories” can programme more outdoor playful activities in local public spaces, and promote a playful habit and attitude among their users (bearing in mind the government measure Towards a Public Culture and Education Policy, approved in December 2018). The possible extension of an outdoor version of the traditional Dau game festival in the summer months at the Fabra i Coats creation factory will also be evaluated. Main players ICUB, COMMUNITY ACTION involved (DISTRICTS and LIBRARY CONSORTIUM) Time-frame 2020-2022 Action N. 32 Increase and diversify the outdoor playful and physical activity on offer throughout the life cycle. Increase and diversify the outdoor playful and physical activity on offer throughout the life cycle by incorporating intergenerational options linked to the Health in the Neighbourhoods and “Get Active in the Parks” programmes, as well as intergenerational and motor play options in more of the city’s green spaces. Main players IBE, BCN PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY involved Time-frame 2020-2030 81 Objective 8 - Facilitate social entity or citizen initiatives linked to playful and physical activity that stimulate diverse and positive uses of public spaces. Action N. 33 Esplais and caus take to the streets: “priority play zones” in some squares and streets on Saturdays. This means facilitating playful uses of squares near the centres of these educational recreation associations as priority play zones, at certain times and with the associations sharing responsibility, prior agreement on the model and agreements on the uses, by temporarily closing nearby side streets. It also means studying the possibility of expanding this initiative of occasionally closing side streets for play to other groups and associations in other neighbourhoods. See file for lead project N.4 Main players JOVENTUT and CJB involved (DISTRICTS, MOBILITY and FAVB) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 34 Promote minority sports from different countries outdoors on the open sports courts and in school playgrounds. Promote minority sports from different countries outdoors on the open sports courts and in school playgrounds to enrich the repertoire of physical and playful activity through cultural diversity, making people aware of them and encouraging everyone to play them. Main players IBE, MUNICIPAL SPORTS COUNCIL, CITIZEN RIGHTS involved Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 35 Adopt a proactive approach and explore public support for social or community projects to share and/or exchange games and toys. Adopt a proactive approach and explore public support for social or community projects to share and/or exchange games and toys, such as Social Toy in parks or squares, experiences of toy-sharing or toy-swap markets, so they become established with a wider social and territorial scope. This means systematising good practices and, in each case, looking for agreements and support with associations and groups that promote non-sexist toys and the habits of sharing and exchanging play items. Main players DISTRICTS, CHILDHOOD involved Time-frame 2020-2030 82 Objective 9 - Enable recreation spaces and school surroundings to become meeting points and places for community life with various uses, not just play. Action N. 36 Boost the public space dispute management service. This means strengthening the service so, where play has a high presence and there are disputes over space uses, community mediation can be activated with the right intensity and most suitable formula, and square committees can be set up to agree on uses in each case, to better accommodate all the uses in the public spaces where that is required. Main players IMSS, DISTRICTS involved Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 37 Explore actions for improving the coexistence of uses of public spaces for dogs and games. Exploring actions for improving the use of public space by dogs and for games refers to dog owners respecting recreation spaces and also encouraging play between the pets, their owners and other residents. Main players OFFICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS, MUNCIPAL COMMUINTY involved RELATIONS COUNCIL, DEFENCE AND PROTECTION OF ANIMALS Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 38 Prevent sexism and sexual harassment in public spaces. Preventing sexism and sexual harassment in public spaces means adopting measures linked to the Strategy for Preventing Sexism in the City as well as the Government Measure on Improving the System for Tackling Sexist Violence in Barcelona, among others, and defining and implementing intervention lines and dispute resolution protocols for preventing sexist violence in sports arenas, recreation spaces and extracurricular activities, as well as other community spaces in the public space. Main players DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND CARE FOR WOMEN involved Time-frame 2019-2030 83 Line 3. Promote a paradigm shift: play gains ground in the city Objective 10 - Raise awareness and recognition of the social importance of play, as well as its individual and collective benefits for everyone. Action N. 39 Communication and awareness campaign on the social importance of play. Communication and awareness campaign on the social importance of play and its collective benefits, starting with children and adolescents, and using online and offline communication, including talks aimed at families through students’ families associations. Main players COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT, SOCIAL RIGHTS, URBAN ECOLOGY involved Time-frame 2020-2022 Action N. 40 Boost the celebration of World Play Day. Boost the celebration of World Play Day with street activities driven by social entities and municipal services around the city every 28 May. Main players COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT, DISTRICTS involved Time-frame 2020-2025 Action N. 41 Take down signs in the city that prohibit ball games and promote all kinds of play in the street, alongside other uses. As some districts have already started doing, that means replacing signs prohibiting ball games, which help to create a collective imagination where playing in public spaces is banned, with signs that encourage children to play a variety of games with a respectful attitude, encouraging acceptance of other uses of the space. See file for lead project N.1 Main players DISTRICTS, PARKS AND GARDENS involved Time-frame 2019-2021 84 Action N. 42 Improve signs in the city informing people of the opportunities for play in various ways. Improve signs in the city for informing people of the opportunities for play in various ways: install specific signs in squares and streets that become priority play zones at certain times; review play area signs so they take universal accessibility into account and do not maintain gender stereotypes; use signs that remind people of the social importance of play, that suggest free, shared play, getting wet, getting dirty, etc.; indicate that some equipment, play areas or recreation spaces are suitable for all ages (0 to 99); include information in city signs on where recreation spaces are and what they offer; install signs on school paths. Main players URBAN ECOLOGY and PARKS AND involved GARDENS (IMPD) Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 43 Create a website and a mobile app on the play opportunities the city offers. Create a website and a mobile app on the play opportunities the city offers with three objectives: one, to geolocate and identify the characteristics of play areas, recreation spaces and other recreation infrastructure mapped in the city; two, to publicise and make people aware of the recreation activities programmed around the city; and three, make it easy for people to evaluate play spaces and options, as well as report incidents (link to citizen mail box app). Main players PARKS AND involved GARDENS (IBE) Time-frame 2019-2022 Action N. 44 Develop an intercultural community project on play as a cultural fact (Play is culture) which highlights its importance from the perspective of the city’s cultural diversity. Develop an intercultural community project on play as a cultural fact (Play is culture) which highlights its importance from the perspective of the city’s cultural diversity, based on knowledge of the diverse playful practices of minorities such as Roma people and immigrant groups, involving them in the co- creation of an exhibition. Main players CITIZEN RIGHTS involved Time-frame 2020-2023 85 Action N. 45 Train educators in free, creative and co-educational play as well as in maintaining harmony in school playgrounds Design and incorporate a training course in the training programme of pedagogical resource centres on the role of educators in supporting and encouraging free, creative and co-educational play during break times, as well as handling disputes. Main players BARCELONA EDUCATION CONSORTIUM, IMEB involved Time-frame 2021-2025 Objective 11 - Increase the time children and adolescents have for free play as part of a social reorganisation of the ways people use their leisure time, achieving a work-life balance and democratising care tasks. Action N. 46 Promote active outdoor play habits prescribing and recommending one hour a day. Promote active outdoor play habits, with doctors and paediatric nurses prescribing and recommending one hour a day for its value in maintaining physical and mental health, and teachers and educators, one hour for its educational value. This means defining formulas for involving basic health and education services as key players in prescribing play for families, inspired by the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of an hour of physical activity a day. Main players ASPB involved (BARCELONA HEALTH CONSORTIUM, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS and IBE) Time-frame 2020-2030 Action N. 47 Move forward on the social organisation of time, to make more free time available for enjoying outdoor play and physical activity, as well as measures for improving the work-life balance and co- responsibility of men and women for an equal distribution of care tasks. Move forward on the social organisation of time, to make more free time available for enjoying outdoor play and physical activity, as well as measures for improving the work-life balance and co-responsibility of men and women for an equal distribution of care and parenting tasks linked to accompanying and sharing play time with their children. These three lines are part of implementing and applying the Barcelona Time Agreement, as well as democratising care. Main players BARCELONA ACTIVA involved Time-frame 2020-2030 86 Objective 12 - Promote citizen co-design and co-responsibility, especially on the part of children and adolescents, so recreation spaces are more suited to play and young people develop a greater sense of owning and being responsible for looking after them. Action N. 48 Systematise methodological guidelines so they take into account the interests and needs of children, adolescents and young people in public space transformation projects. Systematise methodological guidelines so they take into account the interests and needs of children, adolescents and young people in public space transformation projects, carrying out co-creation processes that look for the ideal co-design formula in each case and co-responsibility for the transformed space, and benefiting from methodologies already piloted for finding out and taking into account the specific perspectives of children and adolescents. Main players PARTICIPATION, URBAN ECOLOGY involved (ACTIVE DEMOCRACY, DISTRICET and IIAB) Time-frame 2019-2021 Action N. 49 Consider developing a project to promote co-responsibility for the proper use, shared use and maintenance of recreation spaces near schools. Consider developing a project to promote co-responsibility for the proper use, shared use and maintenance of the most popular recreation spaces near schools, from a logic of each school sponsoring a park and also as an outdoor education space for gradually carrying out more school activities, taking advantage of schools’ urban and social settings in the framework of educational innovation. This idea has been put forward by children in various participatory processes. Main players SUSTAINABILITY, DISTRICTS involved Time-frame 2020-2025 Objective 13 - Generate knowledge of and evaluate the opportunities and playful uses of public space in order to understand them and the progress, backward steps and impacts on the general public, especially on children and adolescents, as well as on the quality of community life and the urban environment. Action N. 50 Innovation and research on the opportunities for play in Barcelona’s public spaces. Innovation and research on the opportunities for play in Barcelona’s public spaces based on various applied research projects for generating knowledge applied to the city on the diversity of playful areas in public spaces and their social and territorial scope, as well as on the playful ecosystem model within the framework of superblocks (urban and social). This involves combining different methodologies, among others, ethnographic observation and techniques, participatory research-action with exploratory walks and the creation of an information management system for analysing data on the basis of a system of indicators, as well as generating evidence of the influence that the design of playful spaces has on play practices and habits in Barcelona through comparative analysis with other cities. Main players URBAN MODEL, PARKS AND GARDENS, IMPD. IIAB. BR involved Time-frame 2019-2030 87 Action N. 51 Create a map of the needs and opportunities for play in the city’s public spaces as a planning tool and for public dissemination by means of an app/website. This means, first of all, creating a recreation infrastructure map (identifying the play areas where renovation is planned between 2019 and 2025, and geolocating outdoor sports equipment identified on the map for the Sports Facilities Plan) and periodically updating it. And, secondly, including the dimensions of children’s, youth, educational, sports and local cultural facilities on the map, as well as hospitals with a paediatric service, and also promoting the city’s network of pedestrian paths. Main players URBAN MODEL, PARKS AND GARDENS involved (IBE, SOCIAL RIGHTS, DISTRICTS and BR) Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 52 Incorporate questions on the periodic municipal surveys to provide informed data on the frequency of and satisfaction with play time and spaces for playing in the city. These include the Municipal Barometer, FRESC, Sports Habits of the Adult and School Populations and the Subjective Well-being of Childhood surveys, among others. Main players MUNICPAL DATA OFFICE, ASPB, IBE and IIAB involved Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 53 Estimate the Public Space Play Plan’s impact on health. Estimate the Public Space Play Plan’s impact on health in order to generate evidence of the expected positive impacts with regard to reducing sedentary lifestyles, obesity, the problematic use of screens and mental health problems, as well as its impact on gender. Main players ASPB involved Time-frame 2019-2030 88 Action N. 54 Compile and systematise actions linked to outdoor play and physical activity in the report on measures included in the Plan for Encouraging and Promoting Citizen Uses of Public Space. This report on uses includes municipal intervention measures adopted to prevent types of behaviour penalised by the co-existence byelaw, among others, those associated with outdoor play and playful activity. Main players CITIZEN RIGHTS, COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICE involved Time-frame 2019-2022 Objective 14 - Boost municipal services and resources for adequately implementing and coordinating the Play Plan’s general objectives and its execution as an urban policy. Action N. 55 Create a suitable municipal management structure, with sufficient municipal resources, for organising and monitoring the implementation of the Play Plan. Create a suitable municipal management structure, with sufficient municipal resources, for organising and monitoring the implementation of the Play Plan with clear reference persons, teams and circuits, as far as human and financial resources are concerned, in the municipal departments, services and institutes as well as all the districts. Main players URBAN ECOLOGY, SOCIAL RIGHTS, CITIZEN RIGHTS involved Time-frame 2019-2030 Action N. 56 Draw up an operational handbook for the technical implementation of the design criteria for play areas and recreation spaces. Draw up an operational handbook for the technical implementation of the design criteria for play areas and recreation spaces, new and renovated, that takes maintenance, safety, accessibility and design requirements into account, as well as some minimum sufficiency standards for play quality as a guide for how the technical project incorporates the criteria in each case. Main players URBAN MODEL, PARKS AND GARDENS, IMPD, IIAB involved Time-frame 2019-2020 89 Action N. 57 Review the current technical specifications for children’s play areas. Review the current technical specifications for children’s play areas in order to adapt them to the paradigm shift on play in the city and the new recreation space and playable city models to be implemented, while bearing in mind the benchmark European regulations (UNE-EN-1176) Main players PARKS AND GARDENS involved Time-frame 2019 Action N. 58 Amend the civic behaviour byelaw on promoting harmony in public spaces. Amend the civic behaviour byelaw on promoting harmony in public spaces, so any nuisance that might be caused by play is mitigated by actions such as agreements on uses, regulations regarding hours and alternatives to hard balls, without penalties or banning ball games on the street, taking into account considerations of the IBE and IMSS, among others. Main players CITIZEN RIGHTS involved Time-frame 2020-2021 Action N. 59 Draw up a new procedure for designing new and renovated play areas. Draw up a new procedure for designing new and renovated play areas that will affect all developers in the city and which includes a preliminary report being drawn up by the play area infrastructure maintenance department, parks and gardens and urban model to ensure a minimum analysis of the needs in the recreation ecosystem the play area will belong to. More specifically, it will evaluate the recreation infrastructure in the area, nearby facilities and services, potential users of the play area (mainly children, adolescents and young people), the various everyday uses of the play area and possible disputes over those uses. This brief report will also enable recommendations to be made based on the opportunity and feasibility of the project and the deficits to be covered. Main players PARKS AND GARDENS, URBAN MODEL involved Time-frame 2019-2020 90 Action N. 60 Include the IMPD in the process of evaluating plans for new and renovated play areas to improve universal accessibility and favour inclusive play in all of them. This means creating a new position – Public Space Manager – to ensure physical accessibility, cognitive- informative and universal accessibility criteria are incorporated, that takes into account the Public Space Accessibility Plan and the Recommendations for Accessible and Inclusive Play Areas produced by the Accessibility Group of the Citizen Agreement for an Inclusive Barcelona in 2018. Main players IMPD involved Time-frame 2019 Action N. 61 Include play in the “Everyday Urban Planning Manual. Urban Planning with a Gender Perspective”. Include play in the “Everyday Urban Planning Manual. Urban Planning with a Gender Perspective” as an everyday need in the childhood and adolescent life stage, as well as the task of looking after children while they are playing, and the physical and playful activity of every citizen, as an important aspect to be taken into account in the city’s urban design, including recreation infrastructure. Main players URBAN MODEL, GENDER MAINSTREAMING involved Time-frame 2019 Action N. 62 Training and exchange forums for municipal staff working in departments, services, institutes and districts. Training and exchange forums for municipal staff working in departments, services, institutes and districts to publicise the new play vision, criteria, handbooks and procedures as a basic condition for suitably implementing the Public Space Play Plan Horizon 2030 Main players URBAN ECOLOGY, SOCIAL RIGHTS involved Time-frame 2019-2025 Action N. 63 Create a cross-departmental committee for implementing and monitoring the Play Plan. Create a cross-departmental committee for implementing and monitoring the Play Plan as its technical and territorial governance forum. This will include the reference services, departments, institutes and districts associated with the Plan’s actions. Main players URBAN ECOLOGY, SOCIAL RIGHTS, CITIZEN RIGHTS involved Time-frame 2019-2030 91 7.4 Lead projects Ten of the actions planned are considered lead projects because of their special interest and public visibility when it comes to showing the change that the Play Plan represents. Also for their feasibility in starting to implement the Plan in the short term (two years) and for their potential to push changes that will lead to the 2030 horizon of a playable city. Specific work spaces will be set up to closely monitor the start-up and implementation of these lead projects And in the following pages you will find fact files with detailed information on each of them. FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 1 Remove signs in the city that prohibit ball games and promote all kinds of street play alongside other uses. (Action N. 41) Strategic line of the Line 3: Promoting a paradigm shift: play has a place in the city Play Plan. Play Plan objective Objective 10 - Raise awareness and recognition of the social importance of play, as well as its individual and collective benefits for everyone. Justification and The intention and format of Barcelona’s current information and signage context system for outdoor play do not encourage it and even restrict it in some ways. For example, the signs banning ball games. Although the penalties for playing games found in the byelaw on civic behaviour and co-existence have been reduced to a minimum in recent years, the fact is a negative image has been created in relation to playing in the street with a banning approach rather than trying to mitigate any possible nuisance that may be caused. So, the aim is to remove all “no ball games” signs in the city and replace them with others that are consistent with encouraging children to play while maintaining a respectful attitude to the public space and other people using it. At the same time, the idea is to promote the use of foam balls, which go better with other games and other citizen uses of the same space. Lead project Remove “no ball games” signs in order to change the negative perception of objective playing in public spaces, promoting the use of foam balls to foster the co- existence of various games and citizen uses. 92 Description In Barcelona, there are signs banning ball games in places such as squares and streets. They are designed to avoid the typical disputes that arise in shared public spaces but, in some ways, they represent an attack on children’s right to play and restrict the possibility of their developing a playful attitude that should be part of their everyday environment. In 2018, some districts such as Horta- Guinardó, basing themselves on the Barcelona Plays Things Right Strategy, started to replace the signs with a more friendly, less prohibitive one which, without saying ‘no’ or ‘not allowed’, encourages children to play in a way that respects other people and the setting. Other play signs in the city include the features of each play area and the basic rules for using it. However, there are very few examples of opting for more friendly signage, aimed at all ages and diversities, that encourages a consistent and respectful playful attitude, with information for both children and adults. These remind everyone that play is a recognised right (Art. 31 CRC), point out the values and benefits of play and call for children’s play and freedom to be respected. These messages and signs are mainly (but not exclusively) targeted at accompanying adults. Specific actions  Geolocate all city signs banning ball games in public spaces, identifying all those that have to be removed.  Create a sign model that encourages children to play respectfully, in order to replace “no ball games” signs with one inviting respectful play.  Remove signs banning ball games.  Install new signs. Targeted at Childre Adolescents Youn Adults Elderly n x x g x peopl pe e x opl e x Main players Led by DISTRICTS, involved (referenc PARKS AND e body) GARDENS In collaboration with Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025-2030 Geolocation and All new signs removal of the installed signs  Signs removed Monitoring  Signs installed indicators Estimated budget €50,000 in total 93 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 2 Sundays for play and recreation on the street: one main street in each district closed to traffic every Sunday morning. (Action N. 19) Strategic line of the Line 1. More and better play spaces in the urban environment: recreation Play Plan. infrastructure in a playable city Play Plan objective Objective 4 - Increase the opportunities and space available for playing in the street, encouraging casual, spontaneous play around the city in safer environments. Justification and This is a measure that complements the permanent pedestrianisation in the context superblocks and other parts of the city, and which involves temporarily closing a main street in each district to through traffic on Sunday mornings, thus gaining a new public space for outdoor play and physical activity on the main leisure day of the week. Urban roads in cities around the world have been turned into pedestrian spaces by periodically closing them to traffic on rest days with tactical urbanism interventions for some years now. Barcelona currently devotes 60% of its available public space to cars, which limits the possibilities for playing and doing physical activity in safe, suitable surroundings. Not just because the limited space available is occupied but also because of the traffic and environmental pollution (noise and air). Experiences of permanent traffic-calming, such as the superblocks, demonstrate how taking the place of private vehicles benefits community life and public uses of public space. There are no plans to turn many streets into superblocks nor permanently pedestrianise them, so these measures must be supplemented by temporary street closures in all the city districts to create periodic, temporary opportunities for other uses based on proximity, in order to develop their potential for changing habits and increasing outdoor playful physical activity for everyone, at least one day a week. Lead project Offer new opportunities for public uses of the streets which, periodically, objective encourage the healthy habits of playful physical activity outdoors, as well as improving the well-being of local residents and the quality of their shared leisure time, starting with children. Description Recent positive experiences in Barcelona include the temporary closure of main streets in some districts, such as Carrer Gran de Gràcia (first Saturday of the month), Via Laietana car-free day (22 September 2018) or the experience of Consell de Cent, which all show the importance of making other citizen uses of the streets possible, even if they have scarcely any impact on local people’s lives or on changing their outdoor playful physical activity habits because they are exceptional rather than periodic initiatives. 94 Via Laietana car-free day (Ciutat Vella) Between March and June 2015, every Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm, a side lane was closed on Av Diagonal (between Pl Francesc Macià and Pl de les Glòries Catalanes) and on Pg de Gràcia (between Pl de Catalunya and Jardinets de Gràcia) and a series of activities were organised (with 9 cultural activity points, 6 sports points and 6 children’s game points) in collaboration with various associations and 25 people providing information. The general view was very positive with a high level of participation practically every Sunday and particular satisfaction being expressed in relation to the children’s activities and cultural activity points. Since the start of 2018, nearby cities have also been pushing similar experiences, such as Cornellà de Llobregat with its “Cornellà car-fee Sundays” programme. Every Sunday, between 9 am and 2 pm, 16 streets in different neighbourhoods do not allow cars through (with temporary alterations to the direction of traffic and alternative routes for cars in the area) with the aim of getting local people to turn their streets into collective spaces for sharing and playing in. As a well-established international benchmark we can take the city of Bogotà which, since 1974, has been developing and extending the ciclovía (cycle way) by closing streets every Sunday and on public holidays from 7 am to 2 pm in an interconnected circuit of 120 km around the city. It is estimated that today some 1.5 million of its 7 million inhabitants enjoy the ciclovía. Recent evaluations of the UK model of closing streets to allow playing out have shown that street play leads to physical activity that is five times more active than regular activity. It also increases neighbourhood cohesion and community life while providing benefits in terms of health and well-being, not only for the children who are playing but also the adults involved. Specific actions  Create a steering group comprising representatives of the municipal services and districts involved in the pilot phase.  Design an initial model in the pilot phase to be implemented in certain districts by exploring the possibilities of involving local facilities and of co- managing the project with organisations from certain points on the streets and proposals for playful and physical activities aimed at all ages and families, with a gender, cultural diversity and functional diversity perspective in mind.  Carry out the pilot phase in certain districts for at least a year to evaluate uses and impacts, and carry out an analysis of improvements during implementation, 95 with a view to the second phase of consolidating and extending it to the other districts. In a third phase, once proximity is assured for encouraging a change of habits, increased outdoor, playful physical activity and shared leisure in public space, the street closures could be updated to create a circuit of local, connected, pedestrian spaces that facilitate the discovery and reappropriation of streets on a city level, beginning in the neighbourhoods. Targeted at Childre Adolescents Youn Adults Elderly n x x g x peopl pe e x opl e x Main players Led by URBAN involved (referenc MODEL e body) MOBILITY, DISTRICTS In collaboration Barcelona Sports Institute (IBE) with FOMENT Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025-2030 Steering Evaluation of Gradual group and the pilot test extension design and better pilot test Start of 2nd connection phase: in city circuit consolidatio n Monitoring  Pilot test evaluation report with an analysis of the users, types of uses and indicators impacts on playful and physical activity habits, with suggested improvements for the implementation and extension phases and better city connection. Estimated budget €2,000,000 in the first two years 96 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 3 “Let’s play in the squares”. Programme with mobile recreation options to encourage meeting up and playing in the city’s squares. (Action N. 27) Strategic line of the Line 2. Stimulating physical and playful activity on the street and outdoors: Play Plan. playful uses in a city people play in Play Plan objective Objective 6 - Encourage children and adolescents to go out and play in the streets, squares and parks with as much autonomy as possible. Justification and To enrich community life and the diverse uses of the city’s squares and to context revive the habit of playing out, it is proposed to start up a programme of pop- up playful activities in the squares, providing participants with materials that generate multiple play options. The idea is for this to become a mobile city service enabling all the districts to enrich the life in their squares. Lead project Systematise and scale up to a city level the programme of pop-up objective interventions based on play in the squares of the different neighbourhoods, either by working on diversifying and combining resident uses, or as part of street cultural programmes where play is the main activity. Description “Let’s play in the squares” aims to become a mobile city programme of playful ideas to encourage children to come together and share the pleasure of playing in the city’s squares. This means combining periodic actions throughout the year in different squares, offering ideas for activities with games kiosks (traditional games, board games, circus activities, etc.), large- scale street games, settings for creative free-play and for discovering and experimenting, water game kits for the summer, foam ball championships with exchanges and business collaboration, sports activities (basketball baskets, table football, circuits, etc,) and so on. The game kiosks in Gràcia’s squares or the “Racó dels Jocs” (Games Corner) in Poble Sec are examples, among others. Let’s play in Plaça del Sol in the Gràcia District. 97 One of the big advantages of these temporary activities is that they offer opportunities to play with elements or materials which, for various reasons (maintenance, cost, safety, etc.), cannot be permanently installed in public spaces. They also have the potential for encouraging intergenerational play, as well as providing equal and accessible play opportunities and materials for everyone, regardless of their background, gender, culture or diversity. On an international level, especially in the countries of northern Europe, Canada and the United Sates, there is a trend for creating spaces that offer free play based on a specific choice of the materials they offer (water, sheets of paper, card, etc.). These are known as “pop-ups”, ephemeral spaces that appear and then disappear but which have the effect of revitalising community life. Specific actions  Analyse the play-based animation and cultural intervention experiences in Barcelona’s squares and systematise reference models from other cities.  Design the city programme based on knowledge of the existing experiences and district considerations, with an inter-district working group. The reference service, in close collaboration with the districts, and adapting to the specific social characteristics of each square, will programme the playful interventions and activities.  Let’s Play in the Squares conference, after one year of the programme, to evaluate and share experiences as well as introduce ongoing improvements in extending it to more neighbourhood squares in all the districts.  Evaluate the programme’s uses and impacts on playful activity and on enriching community life in the squares, after three or four years of implementation. Targeted at Childre Adolescents Young Adults Elderly n x x people x people Main players Led by DISTRICTS involved (referenc e body) In collaboration Educating City – IMEB with Barcelona Sports Institute (IBE) Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025-2030 Analyse Design and Implement Evaluation significant initial phase of programme in carried out experiences Let’s Play in a square in all and Create inter- the Squares districts reprogrammin district g to extend working Conference the group to programme exchange with experiences improvements included Roll out the programme Monitoring indicators  Report on analysis of significant experiences of play activities in city squares and benchmarks in other cities 98  Programme designed and budgeted  Conference to exchange district experiences of Let’s Play in the Squares  Let’s Play in the Squares Programme Evaluation Report 2020-2023 Estimated budget €25,000 to produce a games kiosk €22,000 a year for animation sessions and maintenance (€900 each 3 hr session. 20 monthly sessions and €4,000 maintenance) 99 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 4 Esplais and caus play out: priority play zones in certain squares and streets closed to traffic on Saturday afternoons. (Action N. 33) Strategic line of the Line 2: Stimulating physical and playful activity on the street and outdoors: Play Plan. playful uses in a city people play in. Play Plan objective Objective 8 - Facilitate social entity or citizen initiatives linked to playful and physical activity that stimulate diverse and positive uses of public spaces. Justification and Ten per cent of 6-17 year-olds in Barcelona take part in the educational leisure context activities organised by the 131 esplais and caus (children’s/youth centres) in the city whose educational work is very much based on play. However, the educational associations and Scouts organisations that run them are faced with administrative difficulties and a lack of social understanding of the importance of shared play, as well as disputes over the uses of public space that complicate the exercise of the right to play. So there is a need to reinforce policies that promote educational associations with regard to “facilitating the right to play and use public space”, as urged by the Catalan Parliament (Resolution 498/XI of 2017, by implementing the actions provided for in the Municipal Adolescence and Youth Plan (2017-2020) and the City Council Government Measure for Ensuring and Improving the Influence of Community-Based Educational Associations (May 2018). More specifically, this lead project seeks to make progress towards achieving the objective of facilitating and legitimising young people’s use of public space, as well as promoting their participation in, use of and co-management of public spaces (provided for by the Youth Plan). In particular, that means facilitating their presence in and playful uses of streets, squares and parks near to the association centres and Scouts clubs in the city (provided for in the educational associations’ measure). Other cities around the world have opted for signs that indicate permanent or temporary use of specific spaces for playing in, to make all their users aware of this preferential use and its value. (Initiatives such as play streets, playing out, etc.) 100 Lead project Facilitate playful uses of squares and streets near esplais and caus as zones objective that prioritise play at certain times, for which the educational associations are co-responsible, with children and young people as the starting point. Description The calls for public spaces for children, adolescents and young people to play in is a demand that the city’s educational associations have been making for years. However, the complexity of managing public space and even the regulatory framework have hindered this. This lead project specifies a line of action that takes into account and highlights the esplais and caus as active stakeholders that support play, and argues they should be co-responsible, through their federations, organised round the Educational Associations Working Group on the Barcelona Youth Council, facilitating playful uses of squares and parks near their centres by means of various joint actions. The project is largely inspired by “Playing Out”, a citizen initiative that originated in Bristol (UK) and which has been implemented in cities such as London, Edinburgh, Toronto and Seattle. It is based on an agreement allowing families in the neighbourhood to temporarily and periodically close side streets with little effect on traffic so children and teenagers can play out. Responsibility for the action and minimal organisational tasks required is shared by local residents, a local council that provides regulatory and administrative facilities and material resources for closing the streets and an organisation that promotes, organises training, publicises and analyses initiatives to ensure they run smoothly. The Barcelona project initially envisages the initiative coming from the educational recreation associations and a local authority that acts on an old demand, making specific streets available. In the second phase, once the pilot experiences have been systematised and evaluated, other formulas could be explored to include and make other local and social stakeholders co- responsible for the zones prioritising play at certain times. Spaces identified that are already pedestrian-only will be sign-posted with specific information. Where closing streets to traffic is required, even if they have been identified previously, there will have to be a specific regulatory framework for requesting permission as well as infrastructure resources (street closure kit) and help and support in publicising the initiative so the streets can be closed quickly, accessibly and at low cost. The perspective of the lead project is that the 17,000 plus children and adolescents linked to the associations will gradually become its main beneficiaries so all 131 esplais and caus have reference priority play zones and close the streets at opportune times. Although this involves activities solely for esplai and cau group children, it is anticipated that it could have a positive impact and encourage spontaneous street play by others in the area (without implying any responsibility on the part of the associations). 101 Specific actions  Create a steering group for priority play zones on a city level with the municipal services (prevention in the districts, youth, community action, educating city, mobility, etc.) and associations involved (Esplai and Cau Federations), involving more when appropriate.  Gradually set up territorial working committees for using public spaces, involving the districts and educational association bodies in each area.  The territorial committees and city project steering group will map and identity the squares, parks and side streets with little effect on traffic and services near association centres capable of becoming zones prioritising play at certain agreed times, in principle, Saturday afternoon/evenings (from 4 pm to 8 pm).  Explore and specify administrative and regulatory mechanisms for creating and identifying priority play zones as the main way of reducing administrative procedures for permits and the authorisation of time periods and uses agreed with local residents  Create, install and/or deliver signs for the priority play zones (signs indicating the time slots) and specific urban furniture (barriers for occasional street closures) as a kit for the temporary closure of side streets previously agreed.  Promote 10 experiences in different city neighbourhoods and by different association federations to pilot their operation.  Systematise and evaluate the pilot experiences to define and agree criteria and methodologies for scaling up the priority play zones to a city level.  Explore possible derived playful uses of public spaces, with the associations and the local and social fabric co-responsible, especially with regard to temporarily closing side streets for playing out. Targeted at Childre Adolescents Youn Adults Elderly n x x g people pe opl e x Main players Led by  On behalf of the City Council: Area of Social Rights, involved (referenc Children, Youth and Elderly Services Directorate – Youth e body) Department, together with the Districts  On behalf of other bodies and associations: Barcelona Youth Council, Educational Associations Working Group In  Districts (especially people services and prevention) collaboration  Mobility with  FAVB Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025-2030 Design the Agree the Start Systematise Explore project priority play implementin and evaluate extending zones g the pilot all the pilot the action to Set up the model experiences experiences other local steering and social group Create the stakeholders resources Create the for their first territorial 102 committees roll-out. Map the Start pilot squares, parks experiences and side streets anticipating near centres their capable of becoming evaluation. priority play zones. Monitoring indicators  City steering group created and at least 6 territorial committees set up and functioning.  Map geolocating the priority play zones in squares, parks and streets.  Model agreed for rolling out the priority play zones in squares and parks with temporary street closures at certain times.  Number of applications for temporary street closure kits for playing out.  Evaluation report Estimated budget €150,000 in total 103 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 5 Transform school playgrounds by diversifying their play options, co-education and greening, and giving them community uses. (Action N. 11) Strategic line of the Line 1: More and better play spaces in the urban environment: recreation Play Plan. infrastructure in a playable city Play Plan objective Objective 2 - Improve opportunities for play and socialisation in and out of school, by turning school entrances into squares and their playgrounds into a community resource. Justification and School playgrounds are vital places in childhood play experiences because context children spend an average of 525 hours there each school year (not counting midday). There is a clear consensus that the playground is a very important educational space, that its architectural design determines the play and relationship dynamics and that it provides an opportunity for fine-tuning innovative educational practices but, also, that there is considerable margin for improvement. For example, by encouraging new uses as an outdoor pedagogical space. A line included in the Strategic Plan of the Barcelona Education Consortium and its criteria for managing playgrounds. One that also follows the various mandatory rules in force regarding these aspects, as well as the design criteria document of the Catalan Ministry of Education. In order to achieve the target of doubling the number of adapted playgrounds – understood to mean green, co-educational, inclusive and enriching spaces given the diversity of free play they offer – to at least 120 school playgrounds and getting close to the maximum of 197, the current number of municipally owned schools, it is necessary to promote and provide adequate resources for systematising and giving an impetus to these transformations. Playground by playground, these improvements will contribute to overcoming some major challenges, namely, moving towards greater gender justice and offering children, with equal opportunities, educationally rich environments in and out of school hours. Lead project Drive the transformation of school playgrounds in the city with resources for objective redesigning outdoor pedagogical spaces for better play quality, that are co- educational and naturalised as well as more versatile and permeable inside and outside the school. Description Promotion and systematisation of a city project for gradually transforming school playgrounds, led by the Barcelona Education Consortium, making it possible to systematise experiences and knowledge between schools and also offer technical and economic support; guidance and training with clear, agreed criteria for rethinking and improving school playgrounds, taking current technical requirements into account and assessing any possible changes to be promoted. 104 New space at La Model with school and playground connected for community use (Eixample) This will be based on an updated inventory of the current situation and the improvement needs of public primary and secondary school playgrounds that will include the following five dimensions to be diagnosed and promoted: a) diversifying play opportunities through playground design b) co-education in play time and space in the playground c) naturalising playgrounds by introducing greenery and shade as climate shelters d) permeability in inside-outside school management so they become community playgrounds for neighbourhood residents to use, among other things, as a benchmark play space in the playful ecosystem e) children’s participation in and co-responsibility for their design and maintenance, in line with educational innovation practices Congrés Indians School playground 105 Specific actions Actions to be pursued in this project and which need to be designed and planned, with a budget forecast also to be drawn up in 2019, include:  Creating a working group to start consultations and agree on the process for systematising the evaluations of and lessons learnt from playgrounds that have been transformed, as well as the main criteria for at least the five lines of work mentioned. These should take into 2 account the availability of 4.5m per student in the playground as outdoor pedagogical space provided for in the Education Consortium Strategic Plan.  Updating the inventory to diagnose the needs of and plan the priority actions at the 197 municipal-run primary and secondary schools in the city (177 primary, 10 primary-secondary, 10 secondary).  Conference for exchanging needs, experiences and knowledge of why, to what extent and how to transform playgrounds involving city schools and education communities  Drawing up and publicising a school playground transformation guide that takes into account sustainability, gender, universal accessibility and diverse backgrounds while clarifying the technical and regulatory requirements to be borne in mind.  Piloting the transformation in at least four schools with diverse characteristics.  Opening a subsidy fund for public primary and secondary schools in the city to enable them to carry out the transformation of the playgrounds, with priority being given to those that most need the subsidy. Targeted at Childre Adolescents Young Adults Elderly n x x people people Main players Led by Barcelona Education Consortium involved (referenc e body) In  Catalan Ministry of Education collaboration  Educating City with  Barcelona Municipal Institute of Education (IMEB)  Schools  AMPA and AFA parents associations  District and city school councils  More sustainable schools (Sustainability Culture and Strategy, Area of Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility)  Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens  Gender Mainstreaming Department  Municipal Institute for Persons with Disabilities (IMPD).  Social entities and businesses specialising and with experience in this field Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 20252030 Design and Inventory Piloting Piloting Project planning of the updated playground playground implementati project Conference to transformatio transformatio on evaluation Review of the exchange ns ns (2025) inventory experiences Guide on Guide on Criteria transforming transforming agreed and material and creating and creating systematised playgrounds playgrounds 106 Setting-up Opening of Exchange Exchange At least 120 of working specific fund and training and training playground group for spaces and spaces and s adapted transformin channels channels and with g community playgrounds uses Start to piloting playground transformati ons Monitoring  Operational work group indicators  Inventory updated in 2020 of the situation and needs of the school playgrounds at 200 municipally owned primary and secondary schools  Conferences held  Guide publicised  Fund open with specific economic resources  Evaluation report with, among other data, the increase and number of playgrounds transformed, being transformed or where it has been designed, broken down by district Estimated budget €7,200,000 at least (average of €150,000 per playground x 60 playgrounds) 107 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 6 Urban micro-interventions in school surroundings to turn them into places and spaces for meeting people, community life and impromptu play. (Action N. 12) Strategic line of the LINE 1. More and better play spaces in the urban environment: recreation Play Plan. infrastructure in a playable city Play Plan objective Objective 2 - Improve opportunities for play and socialisation in and out of school, by turning school entrances into squares and their playgrounds into a community resource. Justification and School surroundings as places for informal gatherings often become places for context hanging out and impromptu play, even though those surroundings may be hardly suited to that or even hostile. Based on Eixample’s experience with the “Let’s Fill School Surroundings with Life” (started in 2016) and Ciutat Vella’s under the Neighbourhood Plan (due to start in 2019) the idea is to encourage the creation of spaces for hanging out in and for social interaction between children and adults around school entrances, both those from the school communities and the neighbourhood. The public space adjacent to a school is its “antechamber”, in other words, the first space relating what happens inside and what happens outside. It is also an educating space with the potential for being reconsidered as a square. As pointed out in the Eixample District Government Measure “Let’s Fill School Surroundings with Life” (2016), school surroundings need to be redefined as public spaces: as public spaces, habitable spaces, as an extension of the school, as places that value the history and local life of the neighbourhoods. Lead project Promote, gradually, and throughout the city, micro-urban interventions objective in school surroundings so they become healthier places, facilitate social interaction and generate possibilities for spontaneous play, based on scaling up the experience of improving school surroundings started in the Eixample district. Description The city currently has more than 400 infant (pre-school), primary and secondary schools (state-run and private) and their surroundings are no different to other city spaces, despite the importance of these facilities, of their own needs and the intensive use made of their surroundings. By 2018, improvements had been made at four Eixample schools (Diputació, Auró, Maria Auxiliadora – all primary – and Viladomat – secondary) and there are plans to do the same at eight more in 2019. This is seen as a positive example, one that has led to changes in the social habits of children and adults in the school families as well as other local residents, who have gained a more habitable public space. Ciutat Vella has launched another project along the same lines under the Neighbourhood Plan called “Redesigning spaces for interaction between families and schools” that take the lessons of the city’s earlier experiences into account. Madrid’s experience, based on drafting and implementing the “Guide to Designing School Surroundings” (Madrid City Council, Area of Health, 2017) is another benchmark. 108 Round the Viladomat secondary school (Eixample) The approach is to carry out tactical urban planning micro-interventions which, in a combined way, gain spaces for hanging out around schools, promote greater permeation of the physical space inside and outside schools and, if appropriate, traffic-calm the streets adjacent to the schools. More specifically, school demands for improving their surroundings can be classified in four types: urban development (due to the lack of free pavement space, urban furniture, vegetation and lighting; road safety (changes to signs and traffic lights due to heavy traffic on the school street); anti-social behaviour measures (to deal with litter, dogs, badly parked cars, etc.), and the specific needs of each school (better access, more greenery, etc.). Specific actions  Agree priority criteria, identify school surroundings most in need of improvement and plan the gradual, ongoing improvements required in many school surroundings, using shared city criteria in each district.  Prototype micro-interventions so architectural and tactical urban planning solutions can be speedily replicated in a sustainable way at low cost, bearing in mind the need to include improvements derived from the initial phases as well as install urban furniture that encourages people to hang out and play.  Conference to share and rethink the interventions to improve school surroundings from a health and community perspective.  Evaluate the impact of the transformations as regards uses and education community relations. Targeted at Childre Adolescents Young Adults Elderly n x x people x peopl e x Main players Led by Districts involved (referenc e body) In collaboration Urban with Model Mobility Educating City Barcelona Education Consortium Schools AMPA and AFA parents associations District and city school councils City Police 109 Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025-2030 Start agreeing Planning Conference Some 100 planning done and to school criteria project exchange surroundings implement experiences in the whole ation city started Gradual implement Prototype ation of the micro- projects improveme nt interventio ns Monitoring  Document with criteria and plans for the gradual improvement of indicators school surroundings  Prototypes of micro-architectural and tactical urban planning interventions for improving and traffic-calming school surroundings  Executive projects for transforming school surroundings carried out. Estimated budget €6,500,000€ in total (An average of €65,000) 110 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 7 Increase the opportunities for playing with water as an essential resource in the city’s recreation infrastructure. (Action N. 7) Strategic line of the Line 1. More and better play spaces in the urban environment: recreation Play Plan. infrastructure in a playable city Play Plan objective Objective 1 - Design play areas as well as playful spaces and urban furniture that offer better opportunities for diverse, safe, stimulating and inclusive play, taking adolescence, diverse backgrounds, universal accessibility and a gender perspective into account. Justification and Barcelona currently has a clear deficit of opportunities for water play in context neighbourhood recreation spaces, even though the city has a great treasure in its beaches. Water is a natural element and a highly valued resource when it comes to play. In addition, it hydrates, refreshes and mitigates the heat in summer. However, only 18% of the city’s play areas have nearby drinking- water fountains and there are very few that have fountains or pools for splashing about or cooling down in, or lakes or ornamental fountains where people can swim in summer. There are only two in the whole city. In fact the Climate Plan (2018-2030) provides for the creation of water gardens (sprinklers, accessible fountains, lakes, etc.) with features that combine permanent actions with seasonal ones during summer, taking into account an assumable level of water consumption that meets all health requirements (actions 3.7 and 3.3). Lead project Expand the opportunities for water play in public spaces as an essential objective resource in the city’s recreation infrastructure for getting wet, splashing about and having a swim in summer. Description The plan is to install new recreation infrastructure in the city with water, by means of three action strategies: 1. Install drinking-water fountains in recreation spaces and play areas that are easy for children to use (right height and suitable operating system) and serve a double purpose: hydration and play. 2. Install water features for splashing about and cooling down in for seasonal use, such as fountains, sprinklers, pools or flat swimming pools so we reach 2030 with 10 play spaces for splashing about and cooling down in established in the districts furthest from the beaches. 3. Include a water game kit for the summer season in the mobile programme “Let’s play in the squares”. 111 Eixample Beach – Torre de les Aigües There are various experiences of these kinds of spaces in Barcelona, one of the most established being the “Eixample Beach” at the Eixample water tower. International examples include that of Berlin where water parks are a free city infrastructure Finally, one of the uses of water play is exploring, especially when if it is combined with sand. Water can also be used to make circuits, canals and dams, a great scientific exploration game. Some play features of this kind have been installed in Barcelona (Joan Brossa Gardens) only to be removed later because of the need for maintenance and ongoing repairs. The plan now is to see if improvements can be made to these features so it is technically feasible to install them. Specific actions  Plan the expansion of drinking-water fountains to play areas and recreation spaces in the city and install more fountains (gradually replacing the ones children find more difficult to use).  Plan the installation of water features for splashing about in and adapting ornamental fountains and lakes for bathing during the summer season, taking into account the needs of each neighbourhood and prioritising those furthest from the sea with the lowest incomes, to provide children from families that have fewer 112 resources with opportunities to play with water.  Implement the projects for installing water features for splashing about in and those for adapting fountains and lakes for bathing.  Programme water games in the mobile recreation activities included in the “Let’s Play in the Squares” programme. Targeted at Childre Adolescents Youn Adults Elderly n x x g x peopl pe e x opl e x Main players Led by PARKS AND GARDENS involved (reference body) In collaboration BCASA with ASPB Districts IBE Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025-2030 Inventory and Initial Evaluation plans for implement project (2025) increasing the ation 10 spaces for number of phase splashing drinking-water about and fountains and cooling down adapting in the districts ornamental furthest from fountains for the beaches seasonal (2030) bathing Monitoring  Planning and installation of drinking-water fountains indicators  Planning and installation of water features for splashing about in and adapting ornamental fountains and lakes for bathing during the summer season. Estimated budget €2,000,000 in total (€200,000 x 10 play spaces) 113 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 8 Co-create new urban sports parks for small-wheel sports such as skateboarding, skating, scooting, etc. (Action N. 15) Strategic line of the LINE 1. More and better play spaces in the urban environment: recreation Play Plan. infrastructure in a playable city Play Plan objective Objective 3 - Plan and create more recreation infrastructure with proximity, density and equality criteria in recreation ecosystems that make the most of the potential and characteristics of each neighbourhood, while seeking to maintain a territorial balance in the city. Justification and Barcelona has a deficit of outdoor spaces suitable for the playful physical context activity of children (from 10 years old), adolescents and young people linked to skateboarding, parkour and skating or ball games, as there are only four urban sports parks and seven outdoor skateboarding and skating rinks. It is not just a question of increasing their number but also involving young people in the processes of building a more playable city, to strengthen their feeling of belonging and offering a better response to their needs and interests, paying special attention to the gender perspective. Lead project Increase the number of sports parks so there is at least one in each district, in objective line with the Sports Facilities Plan, and promote participation, co-design and co-responsibility formulas for involving youth groups. Description The city has also identified other spaces for doing small wheel sports and playful activities, known as “spots”. These are urban locations with no features or structures built by the City Council but skateboarders and skaters regularly skate there. There are 12 spots and 11 skatable areas but they are not expressly designed for skating, which takes place by chance alongside other uses. The purpose-built spaces for these activities, the urban sports parks, can be found in four districts, namely the Parc Esportiu Urbà de Baró de Viver in Sant Andreu , the Parc Esportiu Urbà de Via Favència in Nou Barris , the Parc Esportiu Urbà de la Mar Bella in Sant Martí and the Parc Esportiu Urbà Jardins Àurea Cuadrado in Les Corts. 114 Baró del Viver Urban Sports Park (Sant Andreu) So there are six city districts without any facilities with these characteristics. There are some smaller places for skateboarding in those districts and a few open multisport courts. As a reference for co-creating these kinds of places for adolescents and young people, and counting on them to be involved in construction and management, there are examples in the city such as the participatory construction of the La Marina Urban Sports Park under the Neighbourhood Plan (due to be completed in December 2019). And in Santa Coloma de Gramenet the participatory community project for co-designing and constructing a skate park in the Can Zam area involving young people and an interdisciplinary work team (architects, skaters, landscapers) called SK8SC, which includes other urban sports. Specific actions  Create a steering group to come up with methodological proposals and guidelines for the participation of adolescents and young people in the processes for co-creating new spaces for sport and play in the city, specifically focused on open sports courts, skate parks and urban sports parks. This will close with the drafting of a guideline document that will include an evaluation report on the preliminary processes and a set of guidelines and aspects to be borne in mind which is expected to last two years.  Identify windows of opportunity promoted by the districts for starting to build new urban sports parks, skate parks or open sports courts with the participation of adolescents and young people, based on the lessons and experience of the La Marina neighbourhood in Barcelona or other reference cases and the steering group guidelines.  Plan the construction of the new urban sports parks, based on the Facilities Plan and incorporating the opportunities provided by the districts.  Build at least six urban sports parks or skate parks, one per district, by 2025. Targeted at Children Adolescents Youn Adults Elderly x g people pe opl e x 115 Main players Led by Barcelona Sports Institute (IBE) involved (reference body) In  Districts collaboration  Area of Social Rights, Youth Department with  Barcelona Youth Council  Specialist sports organisations Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025-2030 Sports Planning the All new Facilities Plan proposals urban sports 2019-2035 for 6 new parks sports parks finished End of the La Marina skate park participatory construction process Set up the steering group Monitoring  Report with guidelines for involving adolescents and young people in indicators the co-creation processes  6 reports with the results of the co-creation processes for the new spaces  10 new urban sports parks opened in the city 2 Estimated budget €7,146,000 in total (€1,191,000 for each urban sports park of 3,000m (includes co-creation process with young people) x 6 new urban sports parks) 116 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N.9 Open café-bars in recreation spaces to offer toilets and the loan of a basic set of games. (Action N. 23) Strategic line of the Play LINE 1. More and better play spaces in the urban environment: recreation Plan. infrastructure in a playable city Play Plan objective Objective 5 - Create pleasant outdoor environments that foster social links and community life around play by incorporating the everyday needs of children, young people and the grown-ups who look after them into urban design. Justification and context The aim is to create conditions that enrich community dynamics and relations between neighbours based on play time, as well as ensure that recreation spaces get back even more their functions as a meeting point where people get together on a daily basis and not just at weekends. At present, the café-bars in parks and gardens offer us two services around play that are important for all ages: freely accessible, no-charge toilets and a bar service that lets adults enjoy a longer, more comfortable stay, a key factor in expanding outdoor play time. Both passive and active play spaces are important, so the dividing lines between play spaces and the rest of the park need to be removed, without forgetting the cafés and toilets. (London Study of Playgrounds, report by Studio Ludo, 2017). Today only 1 in 4 green spaces in the city have freely accessible toilets (either in a bar, café-bar or separate WC ). Bunkers del Carmel, for example. Having toilets has been and continues to be a recurring demand by children and adolescents in participation processes to do with public spaces (from the public hearing in 2001 to the most recent in 2018). At the same time, it is an important specification of urban planning with a gender perspective which, through small urban planning and service interventions, seeks to create more comfortable public spaces to meet everyone’s everyday needs. Lead project Increase the number of café-bars in parks and gardens to provide a triple objective service: free, and freely accessible toilets, loan of a basic game kit and enjoyment for adults accompanying children, which facilitates the latter’s autonomy and time available for playing as well as improving everyone’s leisure. Description Café-bars are important services in parks and gardens for facilitating outdoor play as they cover the needs of adults who accompany children in their play time. More specifically, the ideas is to work with café-bars in parks and gardens so they offer three important services for generating the right play conditions:  The bar service for adults, which contributes towards turning a stay in public space into personal enjoyment and leisure time, and not just part of their role as a childcare provider. This facilitates children’s autonomous play and increases the leisure time everyone spends outdoors. 117  The toilet service, so the toilets are freely accessible and free to local people. As far as possible, they will have to be designed with universal accessibility criteria and adapted to babies (nappy- changing, etc.). The availability of adapted toilets will contribute to family comfort and increase play time.  A new loan service of play items, with a basic games kit that includes things which expand the possibilities for playing beyond what the play area equipment offers. They should not be very specialised, for all ages and/or apt for intergenerational play. For example, a foam ball, skipping rope, bucket and spade, chalk, badminton bats, board games, stories, etc. Work has started in the city on installing a new type of café-bar, like the one in the Rambla de Sants gardens (Hospitalet de Llobregat side) which is now up and running and where the café-bar has adjoining premises for storing and managing the toys. This model enables each district to manage the service through local organisations independently of the café-bar. Caseta de Jocs in Sants Terrace-bar of the Caseta de Jocs in Sants A space with these characteristics is also being considered at one of the café- bars in the new Pl de Les Glòries project. 118 Specific actions  Analyse the situation as regards concessions for all the city’s café-bars and the recreation spaces with less coverage to identify the deficit with a view to opening new ones, and ensure that all of them are gradually equipped with free, adapted public toilets, as well as space for the basic games kit. Work together with the districts on mapping, feasibility, priorities and planning in stages.  Review the technical and administrative specifications for the concession of services that café-bars in green spaces and on the city beaches have to offer, to ensure they include the loan of a basic games kit and toilets with a universal accessibility design that are adapted for babies (nappy- changing space, etc.), freely accessible and free of charge. Explore possible forms of management linked to the social and solidarity economy. Acquire stocks of basic games kits so café-bars can offer the loan service by the hour (with a replacement and maintenance system). Targeted at Childre Adolescents Youn Adults Elderly n x x g x peopl pe e x opl e x Main players Led by Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens involved (reference body) Districts In collaboration Barcelona Sports Institute (IBE) with Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025 Start analysing Start The city has café-bar new café- situation and Start new bars in start mapping café-bar recreation and planning projects spaces work with districts  Start review of specificati ons and conditions Monitoring  Analysis report on the café-bars in parks and gardens, as well as separate indicators public toilets.  Technical and administrative specifications (public tender process) for café-bar concessions updated with new adapted toilet service in line with current regulations (and for families) that is public and free, and loan of games kit.  Establish a design or model of café-bar* with a module or space based on the one installed in the Rambla de Sants gardens.  Basic games kit designed, acquired (with possible sponsors) and distributed around café-bars awarded a concession.  Number and location of new café-bars open (or with executive projects and in the process of construction). Estimated budget No cost 119 FILE FOR LEAD PROJECT N. 10 Play support for children with functional diversity and accompanying adults. (Action 29) Strategic line of the Play Line 2. Stimulating physical and playful activity on the street and outdoors: Plan. playful uses in a city people play in. Play Plan objective Objective 6 - Encourage children and adolescents to go out and play in the streets, squares and parks with as much autonomy as possible. Justification and context Let’s make it clear: there are children in our city that cannot enjoy play activities and spaces under equal conditions. Sometimes, a child’s participation in play areas is determined by the disability of the people accompanying them, or by the need for intensive support they require themselves. In this context, personal support is a necessary condition for putting into practice the right to equality and non-discrimination in an environment – the play environment – that is fundamental to a child’s all-round development. Lead project Provide human support to those children and adolescents with serious objective disabilities who have difficulty playing autonomously and need support beyond that received from the person accompanying them. Guarantee the necessary human support, in the form of an assistant, to people who, for reasons of disability, are limited in their task of accompanying their young or adolescent children and helping them play. For example, parents who are blind or have poor vision, people with serious mobility problems, etc. Description Active, normal participation of people with disabilities in community life requires the settings and services where this activity takes place to be accessible. This circumstance may require having a support person who can facilitate access to all everyday activities, without that being a babysitting service. As regards play, this need for support may be considered in at least two situations: − the need for intensive support due to the disability of the child or adolescent, support which cannot be provided by the person who regularly accompanies them − the disability of the person accompanying the child or adolescent, which may condition or limit their ability to facilitate the child’s safe, active participation in the play activity. Other municipal services are examples that have inspired this project: − the “changing room support service· and the “physical support service” provided by the Municipal Sports Institute. − The “bathing support service for people with reduced mobility” provided by Environment and Urban Services – Urban Ecology. 120 Specific actions Phase 1: Project design: define the target group, adjust the play assistant service to the group’s needs by means of surveys with the AFA family associations at special needs schools and contrast groups with parents with disabilities. Study the characteristics and management the service will need, with the active participation of people with disabilities. Phase 2: Implementation of the pilot project: start a pilot project throughout the year with a group of families. Phase 3: Evaluation of the pilot test and final configuration of the service Phase 4: Implementation of the service throughout the city (7,000 service hours a year/two hours a day at a park in each district, 365 days a year), Targeted at Childre Adolescents Young Adults Elderly n x x people x people Main players Led by involved Municipal Institute for Persons with Disabilities (IMPD). (referenc e body) In collaboration Barcelona Sports Institute (IBE) with Citizen Agreement for an Inclusive Barcelona Independent Living Network Planned schedule 2019 2020 2021 2022 2025  Phase 1:  Phase Service Service Project 4: continuity continuity design Implem Inclusive Inclusive  Phase 2: Pilot entatio test n of the  Phase 3: service Evaluation throug of the pilot hout test the city Monitoring  Play support hours awarded indicators  Play spaces with support service  Number of entities involved  Number of child and adolescent direct beneficiaries  Number of families beneficiaries  Degree of user satisfaction  Annual project monitoring report Estimated budget Overall budget €465,000 (Initial and pilot phase €25,000 plus €40,000 a year) 121 7.5 ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR THE LEAD PROJECTS AND ACHIEVING THE TARGETS Below we offer a budget estimate with the costs associated with the 10 lead projects, which are considered important projects with the capacity to have an impact on developing the Plan and the costs associated with achieving the targets that should contribute towards reaching the 2030 horizon. It contains the overall estimated budget to 2030 and a detailed calculation of the budget for the next term of office (2019-2023) when it is estimated 30% of the overall budget will be spent, except in those cases where the entire overall budget will be spent before 2023. Therefore, for the next term of office it is estimated that the cost of implementing the lead projects and for achieving the targets will be €19,685,000 broken down into the following concepts. Costs associated with the lead projects Lead project Estimated budget 2019-2023 in the lead project (PIM) fact file File N. 1 - Remove signs in the city that €50,000 in total €50,000 prohibit ball games and stimulate all kinds of street play alongside other uses. File N. 2 - Sundays for play and recreation €2,000,000 in total in the €2,000,000 on the street: one main street in each first two years district closed to traffic every Sunday morning. File N. 3 - “Let’s play in the squares”. €314,000 in total (€50,000 €94,200 Programme with mobile recreation production of two games options to encourage meeting up and kiosks with an average of playing in the city’s squares. €22,000 a year for animation and maintenance) File N. 4 - Esplais and caus play out: €200,000 in total €60,000 priority play zones in certain squares and streets closed to traffic on Saturday afternoons File N. 5 - Transform school playgrounds €7,200,000 in total €2,160,000 by diversifying their play options, co- (average of €150,000 education and greening, and giving them per playground and community uses. estimate for 60 playgrounds in 2030) File N. 6 - Urban micro-interventions in €6,500,000 in total €1,950,000 school surroundings to turn them into (average of €65,000 for squares and spaces for meeting people, 100 schools in 2030) community life and impromptu play. 122 File N. 7 - Increase the opportunities for €2,000,000 in total €600,000 playing with water as an essential resource (average of €200,000 per in the city’s recreation infrastructure. unit and estimate for 10 play spaces in 2030) File N. 8 - Co-create new urban sports €7,146,000 in total €2,143,800 parks for small-wheel sports such as (average of €1,191,000 skateboarding, skating, scooting, etc. for each urban sports park of 3,000m2 for 6 districts in 2030) File N. 9 - Open café-bars in recreation No cost No cost spaces to offer toilets and the loan of a basic games kit. File N. 10 - Play support for children €465,000 in total €139,500 and accompanying adults with (€25,000 initial phase and functional diversity. pilot, and average €40,000 a year) TOTAL €25,875,000 €9,197,500 Costs associated with achieving the targets.  The costs of targets N. 3, N. 8 and N. 9 are included in lead projects N. 7, N. 5 and N. 6.  The costs of targets N. 2, N. 6 and part of N. 5 are included in the amount for target N. 1. Other costs linked with the targets are explained below. TARGETS FOR 2030 Cost 2030 2019-2023 (PIM) Target N. 1 - Double the number of play €14,000,000 in total €5,591,000 areas with diverse playful activities. for increasing the playful activities of 217 play areas Target N. 4 - Double the games with €6,795,000 for 6 €2,700,000 challenges and risk management for sports centres, 11 adolescents and young people in recreation ziplines, 7 giant slides spaces and 10 items for play at height 123 Target N. 5 - More shared play, with play €275,000 in total €110,000 and sports equipment in the urban which includes 56 environment. table-tennis tables and 66 basketball baskets Target N. 7 - Improve the habitability €5,240,000 in total €2,100,000 of recreation spaces with toilets, comprising: 225 tables, fountains and shade. fountains and 37 café toilets, 216 sets of picnic tables Target N. 10 - Increase the play rates in No associated parks and physical activity among children specific cost and adolescents (reducing the gender gap) TOTAL €29,060,000 €10,501,000 124 8. Governance, monitoring and evaluation of the Plan 8.1 Governance The cross-cutting nature of the actions envisaged in the Public Space Play Plan requires the organisation of a political governance system based on the initial political co-leadership that involves municipal areas and services. District involvement is essential too. It is therefore considered necessary to create a suitable municipal management structure equipped with sufficient resources for organising and monitoring the implementation of the 2030 Play Plan, and with reference teams and clear circuits. A coordinating group for driving the implementation of the Play Plan will be created from this structure to ensure its smooth implementation and progress. Likewise, a cross-departmental implementation and monitoring committee will be set up, as will the working groups required for carrying out the lead projects. Governance, in four spaces, is summed up in the following chart: 1. Political governance Urban Green 2. Coordinating and Mod space driving group el s Health Education 3. Cross-departmental committee for implementing and monitoring the Play Plan. 4. Lead project working groups. 125 IIAB 1) Political governance and co-leadership Cross-departmental, political co-leadership forum comprising the political heads of the main local policies involved with, in principle, half-yearly political steering meetings. 2) Coordinating and driving group Technical coordinating forum for driving the Play Plan comprising the main areas involved, in other words, those with more important actions in terms of their impact and volume. It is the technical working space made up by the urban model, green spaces, education and health managers. During the first two years it will hold, as a minimum, bimonthly meetings and during this initial phase of approximately two years it will be supported by the Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents. Following the consolidation of the initial implementation stage, an assessment will be made and decisions taken regarding the players involved and the frequency of its meetings. Its functions will be to ensure coordination between the political and technical steering groups, check the Play Plan is being implemented in a coherent fashion, ensure the Plan’s actions and lead projects are set in motion in the first two years, check the monitoring, evaluation and progress of the actions and lead projects, and to report to, maintain communication with and act as a bridge for transmitting opportune decisions to the political heads. 3) Cross-departmental committee for implementing and monitoring the Play Plan. Technical forum for monitoring and evaluating the Play Plan, meeting at least quarterly during the initial implementation phase. Comprises the different players involved in implementing the Plan. Their presence on the committee will depend on the number of actions they are involved in or leadership level. The committee’s functions will be to create synergies that will enable the Play Plan to move forward, optimising the resources and strategies for implementing it, and to report to, maintain contact with and act as a bridge for transmitting opportune decisions to the political heads. The players involved belong to the following spheres: 126 Urban model sphere Urban Model Department in the Area of Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility Green Spaces Department in the Area of Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility Mobility Department in the Area of Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility Sustainability Culture and Strategy Department in the Area of Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens (IMPJ) Municipal Institute of Urban Landscape and Quality of Life (IMPUQV) Barcelona Cicle de l’Aigua (BCASA) Social rights sphere Children, Young People and Senior Citizens Department in the Area of Social Rights Barcelona Municipal Institute of Education (IMEB) Educating City Department at the Barcelona Municipal Institute of Education Municipal Institute for Persons with Disabilities (IMPD) Municipal Institute of Social Services (IMSS) Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) Barcelona Education Consortium (CEB) Citizen rights sphere Gender Mainstreaming Department Active Democracy Department Barcelona Institute of Culture (ICUB) Barcelona Sports Institute (IBE) Citizen Rights and Diversity Services Directorate Community Action Department Barcelona Libraries Consortium Districts Manager's Office People and Territorial Services Department Technical Services Department Other spheres Barcelona Institute for Children and Adolescents (IIAB) Barcelona Regional (BR) Foment de Ciutat Municipal Data Office Barcelona Activa Barcelona Health Consortium City Police 127 4) Lead project working groups Working and coordinating forum for monitoring the implementation of the various lead projects with the leadership or co-leadership of the lead players and the participation of the other players. Set up and organised in line with each lead project. Each lead project working group will incorporate entities from the associated social sphere. At least the following: Barcelona Youth Council Educational Associations Working Group Citizen Agreement for an Inclusive Barcelona Independent Living and Accessibility Network Mestres Rosa Sensat Association – Federation of Pedagogical Renovation Movements Barcelona Federation of Residents’ Associations (FAVB) 8.2 Monitoring and evaluation Monitoring and evaluating progress of the actions to be carried out, as well as the level of roll-out and implementation of their aims is essential, not only for accountability purposes but also for giving the Plan more cohesion and a common vision. The day-to-day nature of its widespread roll-out can lead to disconnection so, apart from overall political and technical leadership, monitoring and evaluating it can restore weight to the strategic vision as a whole. The following section will show how the Play Plan ensures the different players maintain some control over its roll-out by means of monitoring and evaluation processes. The monitoring process consists of a series of instruments and mechanical processes (see Annexe 11.3), which basically report on the extent to which the planned actions have been implemented and the targets achieved, and qualitative evaluation meetings, relating to these four levels of monitoring and evaluation: 1. Monitoring implementation of the 63 actions by means of a traffic-light system. Reports:  Annual monitoring report on actions and 2. Monitoring the 10 lead projects by lead projects means of the planned indicators.  Intermediate evaluation report (2024) with a proposal for 3. Monitoring the achievement of the reprogramming the targets by means of measurable actions numerical indicators.  Final evaluation report (2040) on the planned objectives and the achievement and impact of the targets 4. Intermediate and final evaluation. 128 9. Time-frame Actions and lead projects 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025-2030 1. Incorporate play area design criteria geared towards improving play quality in all new and renovation projects. 2. Reorganise and rethink the playful offer and play areas in territorial terms. 3. Promote the model of a recreation space rather than a play area, by creating unique spaces. 4. Renovate and decrease the number of poor quality, standardised play areas. 5. Create recreation spaces designed for adolescents and young people. 6. Incorporate play equipment for adults and elderly people. 7. Increase the opportunities for water play (lead project) 8. Pilot and consolidate the adventure playground model, putting the emphasis on free, creative play. 9. Incorporate playable urban features in the urban furniture catalogue. 10. Expand the recreation resources with mobile play areas. 11. Systematise and drive the transformation of school playgrounds (lead project) 12. Urban micro-interventions in school surroundings (lead project) 13. Boost the “School Playgrounds Open to the Neighbourhood” programme 14. Plan city recreation infrastructure in the medium and long term within the recreation ecosystem framework, while ensuring it is adequately maintained and cleaned. 129 Actions and lead projects 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025-2030 15. Co-create new urban sports parks with young people. 16. Increase and diversify sports equipment for motor play and physical activity from 0 to 99 years of age. 17. Create a large, innovative recreation space for all ages (0 to 99) in the natural surrounding of the seafront. 18. Promote natural settings as play spaces. 19. Sundays for play and recreation on the street: one main street in each district closed to traffic every Sunday morning (lead project) 20. Study the creation of a network of pedestrian paths incorporating street play. 21. Create safer environments, with universal accessibility, around play areas and recreation spaces as well as schools. 22. Rethink the school path programme. 23. Open café-bars in recreation spaces to offer toilets and the loan of a basic games kit (lead project). 24. Explore promoting collaboration with commercial establishments in squares, especially cafés or bars with a terrace, to decide how they can collaborate in providing free toilet access and in loaning a basic games kit. 25. Increase urban furniture, taking everyday needs into account and create pleasant areas to stay around the city, especially around recreation spaces and play areas. Mainly benches, fountains and shade. 26. Introduce more greenery into recreation spaces and play area surroundings. 27. “Let’s play in the squares”. Programme with mobile recreation options to encourage meeting up and playing in the city’s squares (lead project). 139 Actions and lead projects 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025-2030 28. Include more public space recreation options at summer camps and day centres, and in open centres, toy libraries and children's play centres, 29. Play Support Service for children with functional diversity (lead project). 30. Play for everyone in the heart of the city with the opening of an outdoor toy library for all ages (0 to 99) in a central spot. 31. Get local facilities (libraries, civic centres, neighbourhood centres and creation factories) to promote and programme outdoor playful activities. 32. Increase and diversify the outdoor playful and physical activity on offer through “Health in the Neighbourhoods “ and “Activa’t als Parcs”, incorporating intergenerational options as well. 33. Esplais and caus take to the streets: “priority play zones” in some squares and streets on Saturdays (lead project). 34. Promote minority sports from different countries outdoors on the open sports courts and in school playgrounds. 35. Adopt a proactive approach and explore public support for social or community projects to share and/or exchange games and toys. 36. Boost the public space dispute management service where there are disputes over uses and a high presence of play. 37. Explore actions for improving the combined use of public space by dogs and for games. 38. Prevent sexism and sexual harassment in public spaces. 39. Communication and awareness campaign on the social importance of play. 40. Boost the celebration of World Play Day. 131 Actions and lead projects 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025-2030 41. Remove signs in the city that prohibit ball games and promote all kinds of street play alongside other uses (lead project). 42. Improve signs in the city informing people of the opportunities for play in various ways. 43. Create a website and a mobile app on the play opportunities the city offers. 44. Develop an intercultural community project on play as a cultural fact. 45. Train educators in free, creative and co-educational play as well as in maintaining harmony in school playgrounds. 46. Promote active outdoor play habits. Doctors and paediatric nurses prescribe and recommend one hour a day. 47. Move forward on the social organisation of time, to make more free time available for enjoying outdoor play and physical activity, as well as measures for improving the work-life balance and co-responsibility of men and women for an equal distribution of care tasks. 48. Systematise methodological guidelines so they take into account the interests and needs of children, adolescents and young people in public space transformation projects. 49. Explore the development of a project for promoting co-responsibility for the proper use, shared use and maintenance of recreation spaces near schools. 50. Innovation and research on the opportunities for play in Barcelona’s public spaces. 51. Create a map of the needs and opportunities for play in the city’s public spaces as a planning tool and for public dissemination by means of an app/website. 132 Actions and lead projects 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025-2030 52. Incorporate questions on the periodic municipal surveys to provide informed data on the frequency of and satisfaction with play time and spaces for playing in the city. 53. Estimate the Public Space Play Plan’s impact on health. 54. Compile and systematise actions linked to outdoor play and physical activity in the report on measures included in the Plan for Encouraging and Promoting Citizen Uses of Public Space. 55. Create a suitable municipal management structure, with sufficient municipal resources, for organising and monitoring the implementation of the Play Plan. 56. Draw up an operational handbook for the technical implementation of the design criteria for play areas and recreation spaces. 57. Review the current technical specifications for children’s play areas. 58. Amend the civic behaviour byelaw on promoting harmony in public spaces. 59. Draw up a new procedure for designing new and renovated play areas. 60. Include the IMPD in evaluating play area projects to improve accessibility in all of them. 61. Include play in the “Everyday Urban Planning Manual. Urban Planning with a Gender Perspective”. 62. Training and exchange forums for municipal staff working in departments, services, institutes and districts. 63. Create a cross-departmental committee for implementing and monitoring the Play Plan. 133 10. Bibliography Barcelona Public Health Agency and Barcelona Health Consortium (2017). 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Gill, T (2006) Street Play Initiatives in Disadvantaged Areas: experiences and emerging issues. Street Play Evaluation Report, Play England, United Kingdom. Gill, T. (2007) No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society. Calouste Gulbenkian, United Kingdom. Gill, T. (2018) Playing it Safe? A global white paper on risk, liability and children’s play in public space. Bernard van Leer Foundation, Netherlands. Gleave, J., Cole‐Hamilton, I. (2012). A literature review on the effects of a lack of play on children’s lives. Play England with the Toy and Hobby Association, Wales. Greater London Authority (2012). Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation, Supplementary Planning Guidance. Greater London Authority, City Hall, London. Hargrave, J., Williams, S., Dohna, F., (2017) Cities Alive: Designing for Urban Childhoods. ARUP, London Herrington, H., Lesmeister, C., Nicholls, J., Stefiuk, K. (2007). 7Cs: an Informal Guide to Children’s Outdoor Play Spaces. Consortium for Health, Intervention, Learning and Development (CHILD), Canada. IIAB (2018) Results of the Co-creaction Process with Children from Two Barcelona Parks. The Transformation of Parc de la Pegaso and Parc Central de Nou Barris into Playful Spaces. IIAB (2019) Research Report: Let the Children Speak. Report on the subjective well-being of children in Barcelona. IIAB (2017) Ethnographic Observation Report on Barcelona’s Play Areas. An introduction to family uses and evaluations. Lawson Foundation (2013) Outdoor Play Strategies 2013‐2018. Lawson Foundation, Canada. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. General Comment on the right to play CRC/C/GC/17, 17 April 2013. Play England (2009) Tools for Evaluating Local Play Provision: a technical guide to Play England Local Play Indicators. Play England for the National Children’s Bureau, United Kingdom. Play England (2015) Adventure Playgrounds: The essential elements. Play England, United Kingdom. Play England (2016) Quality in Play: Standards, assessment indicators and evidence – a manual. Quality in Play by Play England, Unit Kingdom. Play Scotland (2010) Getting it Right for Play. A toolkit to assess and improve local play opportunities. Midlothian Innovation Centre, Scotland. Play Scotland (2010). Getting it Right for Play. Children’s Play in Scotland: The Policy Context. Midlothian Innovation Centre, Scotland. 135 Play Wales Chwarae Cymru (2012) Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit. Welsh Government, United Kingdom. Play Wales Chwarae Cymru (2014) Wales – a Play Friendly Country: Statutory Guidance. Welsh Government, United Kingdom. Rojals del Alamo, M (2004) Nuevo diseño en parques infantiles. Editorial Structure, Spain. Shackell, A., Butler, N., Doyle, P., Ball, D. (2015) Design for Play: A guide to creating successful play spaces. Play England and Department for Children, Schools and Families, United Kingdom. Studio Ludo (2007) London Study of Playgrounds: the Influence of Design on Play Behavior in London vs New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Studio Ludo, USA. VVAA (2010) School Playgrounds: spaces with educational opportunities. Brief Reports Collection, Jaume Bofill Foundation, Barcelona. Welsh Assembly Government (October 2002) Play in Wales: The Assembly Government’s Play Policy Implementation Plan. Department of Training and Education, Welsh Assembly Government, Wales. Accessibility and Independent Living Network, Citizen Agreement for an Inclusive Barcelona (September 2018) Recommendations for Accessible and Inclusive Play Areas . 136 Area: Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility Editors and authors: Green Spaces and Biodiversity Directorate, Urban Model, Adolescence and Youth Institute The images belong to: Page 7‐8‐9: Working sessions (Adolescence and Youth Institute) Maps and Tables: Barcelona Regional and Adolescence and Youth Institute Page 95: Via Laietana car-free day (Barcelona City Council) Page 97: Let’s play in Plaça del Sol in the Gràcia District (Barcelona City Council) Page 100-101 Sign and street games (Pixabay) Page 105: La Model (Barcelona City Council) and Congrés-Indians school playground (Antoni Portell) Page 109: Round the Viladomat secondary school (Natalia Olcina, camiamic.wordpress.com) Page 112: Eixample beach – Torre de les Aigües (Barcelona City Council) Page 115: Baró del Viver urban sports centre (Barcelona City Council) Page 118: Caseta de jocs in Sants and Terrace-bar of the Caseta de Jocs in Sants (Barcelona CC) The full licence can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ca 137