designing inclusive urban playscapes across sensorial + socio-spatial boundaries deidre tomlinson designing inclusive urban playscapes across sensorial + socio-spatial boundaries by: deidre tomlinson Submitted to OCAD University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design in Inclusive Design Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 2017 Deidre Tomlinson, 2017 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License. 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For example, other rights, such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material. ii iii abstract table of contents Our emotional experience in public environments is considered to be superficial, although their configurations impact how 1.0. Introduction: : The Inclusion Imperative in Playful Urban Design. well we can see, hear, move around, and interact in them daily. ‘Lonely, but not alone’ describes many of today’s urban 1.1. Background. dwellers. For some people, participation in civic life can be challenging, especially since the barriers (physical, 1.2. Problem. psychological, etc.) faced by some are not always apparent to others, even to designers. This Major Research Project 1.3. Purpose. explores the relationship between the level of playfulness expressed in an urban space and user experience. Along with 1.4. Research Question(s). case study investigations and the Delphi method, 42 citizens (estimated to be 21 years of age or older) participated via 1.5. Scope + Limitations. interviews in Toronto, Canada. An urban design framework of 64 playful design features called The Multi-Playscape Toolkit , which can be used by urban designers and architects, has been developed and now contributes to the knowledge base. 2.0. Literature Review. Using the Toronto context, recommendations are provided to promote more urban playfulness, more lenient policymaking, 2.1. Urban Public Spaces: The Sensorial + Perceptual Dimensions. and more inclusive design practices in our public spaces. 2.2. Urban Public Spaces: The Interactive Dimension. 2.3. Urban Public Spaces: The Socio-Political Dimension. Keywords: (adult) playfulness, architecture, colour, environmental aesthetics, environmental psychology, inclusive design, playful design, 3.0. Data Collection. playful spaces, public art, public spaces, sensescapes, sensory design, sensory inclusion, social inclusion, urban design, urban interventions, urban planning 3.1. Research Design. 3.2. Methodology. 3.3. Methods. 3.4. Statistical Information. 4.0. Data Analysis. 4.1. Analytical Approach. 4.2. Sensory Mapping. 4.3. Playful Urban Design Framework: The Multi-Playscape Toolkit. iv 4.4. Discussion. v 5.0. Playful Urban Design Applications. 5.1. Urban Public Spaces: Provisions. list of tables 5.2. Urban Public Spaces: Permissions. 5.3. Urban Public Spaces: Inclusive Design. [Table 001]: Summary of Statistical Information ...................................................................................................................................... 37 5.4. Inclusive Sensescapes. 5.5. Inclusive Playscapes. [Table 002]: Participants Who Self-Identify as Having a Sensory Limitation/Sensitivity ................................................................. 37 6.0. Conclusion. 6.1. Next Steps: Future Research + Design. [Table 003]: Number of Playful Design Features in Toronto’s Most Frequented Public Spaces .................................................. 42 6.2. Culmination. [Table 004]: Number of Playful Design Features in Toronto’s Most Frequented Public Spaces by Those 7.0. Bibliography. with a Sensory Limitation/Sensitivity .................................................................................................................................... 44 8.0. Appendices. [Table 005]: My Playful Urban Design Framework — The Multi-Playscape Toolkit .......................................................................... 45 8.1. Appendix A: The Multi-Playscape Toolkit. 8.2. Appendix B: Glossary (Intended Meanings of Terms). vi vii list of figures [Figure 001]: The 7 Sensescapes ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 [Figure 002]: Disciplinary Intersection .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 [Figure 003]: Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 [Figure 004]: Most Frequented Public Spaces in Toronto (map) ........................................................................................................... 41 [Figure 005]: Most Frequented Public Spaces in Toronto by Those with a Sensory Limitation/Sensitivity (map) ..................... 43 [Figure 006]: Swatches of Some Playful Design Features ...................................................................................................................... 64 viii ix introduction "Urban space is not a clean, abstract design; it is a complex human experience. It depends on a combination of visual, acoustical, thermal and tactile information fields." 1. (Salingaros, 1999, p. 43) 1 In this chapter, a brief background of this study is presented, along with its scope and limitations. It should be noted that the urban public 1.2. Problem. spaces referenced in this research have been narrowed down to only those that are outdoors: parks, squares, streets, etc. ‘Lonely, but not alone’ describes a large number of today’s urban dwellers. Gone are the days where one would walk down the street and know the name or face of everyone they would encounter. “In the 1970s, nearly 30 percent of Americans reported spending time with their [ The Inclusion Imperative in Playful Urban Design ] neighbors at least twice weekly; fewer than a quarter reported no interactions with neighbors. Over the past three decades, the number of Playfulness has not yet been fully embraced as a comprehensive academic philosophy or prioritized in urban design policies and practice. interactions has trended downward." (Cortright, 2015, p. 6) If (social) matters are not addressed, we can expect these numbers to continue Regarding urban playscapes, we need to do better than the cookie-cutter, playground-in-a-box template offered in limited colour schemes to decrease. and with few additions sold separately. There is not enough research about playful urban environments. Even less when pertaining to adults or older populations. And, even less when looked through the lens of inclusion. While physical, economic, and cultural accessibility are all Unfortunately, there is a percentage of all urban populations who find participating — or attempting to participate — in civic life quite concerns in their own rights, this Major Research Project (MRP) exclusively focuses on the sensory and socio-spatial dimensions. (emotionally) difficult. This can take its toll on individuals’ psychological health and happiness as membership in groups with high levels of social cohesion is positively related to those individuals’ well-being. (Sonnentag, 1996) Playfulness is vital to social cohesion, a type of social expression of belonging to or being attracted to a community. “Building inclusive, healthy, functional, and productive cities is perhaps the 1.1. Background. greatest challenge facing humanity today … yet a key part of the puzzle lies right in the heart of the world’s urban areas: the public spaces.” (PPS, 2012, p. 1) Thus, urban public environments should be (re-)designed to better accommodate everyone’s needs. During The design and configurations of our urban environments impact how well we can see, hear, move around, and interact in them. Public