Co-designing neighbourhoods for children and young people’s play: learning from experience in a UNICEF child-friendly city

Research highlights significant gaps in the active engagement of children in placemaking, planning, design and governance activities at the neighborhood scale. Our study critically addresses these gaps through neighborhood-scale engagement with children aged 8 to 17 in Cardiff, Wales, a recently designated UNICEF child-friendly city. Participants' activities included co-assessing neighborhoods and co-designing plans to enhance play, playful activities, and play spaces. Thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through working with around 400 children in two Cardiff communities reveals the limitations of designated playgrounds and how participants embrace a broader definition of play, seeking social, adventurous, inclusive and accessible play opportunities across their neighborhoods. The findings also highlight unequal access to diverse play opportunities in different areas, calling for a place-based approach to understanding play experiences and action to address the unequal micro-geographies of play.