The Instant Playground is designed to bring people together and re-appropriate unused public space. The best part is the whole thing fits in a suitcase and can be built in one hour.
Fun for all ages, the Instant Playground creates a temporary community space where none existed previously. The kit consists of a simple community-building game intended to force neighbors to interact who wouldn't normally speak to each other. The play area doesn't have any slides or swings, but still provides an engaging activity for children and adults.
Designed by architect Marcella del Signore and four other designers, the Urban Urge Awards grant winner has already been tested in San Francisco and New Orleans. They hope to make the kit even more portable and expand to other cities soon.
Portable People-Connecting Playgrounds
Building the Instant Playground Instigates Interaction
Trend Themes
1. Community-building Kits - Opportunity to develop more portable and interactive community-building kits using innovative game concepts that encourage socialization.
2. Instant Playgrounds - Potential to create more compact, portable, and customizable playgrounds that can be set up quickly in underutilized public spaces.
3. Interactive Public Spaces - Developing interactive public spaces that are easy to set up and promote social interaction between neighbors and strangers alike.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture and Design - Opportunity for architects and designers to develop more creative, efficient, and portable designs for public spaces and community-building kits.
2. Recreation and Leisure - Potential for recreation and leisure industry to create more portable and innovative products that encourage socialization and community building.
3. Urban Planning - Incorporating more interactive public spaces into urban planning and development, and utilizing underutilized public spaces for community building purposes.