Playgrounds in perspective; an exploration of the Swedish schoolyard development
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Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
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Sammanfattning
The schoolyard is a natural part of our school system,
present in all Swedish schools. Most individuals who have
attended school have some kind of memory associated
with it and the time they spent there. The significance of
play for children’s well-being and development is widely
acknowledged, with evidence suggesting its positive
impact on mental and physical health. Play theory asserts
that play is fundamental to human behavior. It highlights
play as crucial for children’s language development and
understanding of the world (Tanis, 2012). Among
various settings, the schoolyard stands out as an ideal
space to encourage children’s play and activity during
recess (Delidou, Matsouka & Nikolaidis, 2015. p.2).
Seven out of ten children are moving less than
recommended in Sweden according to the Swedish
food agency (livsmedelsverket). The study shows
a difference between genders, ages, and parents’
educational level. It also shows that children are more
physically active during school hours compared to other
times of the day (Livsmedelsverket 2016). Considering
the substantial amount of time children spend at school,
an outdoor school environment can effectively promote
and support students’ engagement in physical activities
as much as it can inhibit it, if not well equipped.
Laws and regulations, as well as municipal guidelines
exist to aid in the planning of outdoor spaces within
schools, the main focus is around the concerning trend
of shrinking schoolyards due to urbanization and policy
decisions. Despite this being an important point to
consider, today we can observe schools with adequately
sized schoolyards that lack in other aspects. The debate
surrounding regulations for schoolyard spaces has sparked
political discussions, with architects and urban planners
emphasizing the need for qualitative as well as quantitative
considerations. This thesis delves into the historical
evolution of schoolyards to understand its developments
and context through time. It also examines its impact
on children’s play, cognitive and social development.
Furthermore, it investigates how conceptual design elements
can be applied in existing schoolyards in Gothenburg
amidst evolving societal and environmental dynamics.