I know the walk to the playground at the back of the park well. Down a narrow path with nobody around, past the sports fields, to a small fenced playground tucked away at the far end. On a grey February afternoon it can be the loneliest place in town.

Then I think of an evening in San Sebastian Families sat out at the cafés around the square, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, while the children played right in the middle until long after dark, in full view of everyone. There was no fence, and no need for one.

Above: A photograph that I took of the playground in the town centre of San Sebastian, Spain. *(I have used an AI assisted renderer to replace people for privacy reasons).*

Nobody sets out to hide children away. Playgrounds often end up on leftover land, then come the worries about noise, dogs and liability, then the fences, catalogue equipment and rubber surfacing. Landscape researcher Helen Woolley calls this the "Kit, Fence, Carpet" approach.

When play sits at the heart of town, everything changes. Parents feel less alone, children are seen as part of public life, cafés and shops get busier, and more eyes on the square make it safer for everyone. Aldo van Eyck proved this in post-war Amsterdam, slotting hundreds of small playgrounds into everyday streets and squares.

How you can make a difference

Use your town square: take a ball, chalk or a scooter on an ordinary afternoon.
Organise a pop-up play day with other families.
Respond to town centre consultations and ask for play to be part of the plan.

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