aplayfulcity.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

"a new narrative is key to how we might reimagine the future, given that some 60% of us live in towns. In this I turned to Cathal Mulry, director at A Playful City and UCC lecturer in urban design futures ..." www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

This is the exact opposite of what should be happening if we want children to be outside, moving, healthy and happy! We and allies will be strongly opposing this change.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

I keep seeing the same common theme: the impossible standards placed on anyone advocating changes to our transport system. Question car dependency and you're expected to address every inequality and injustice at the same time; but support car dependency and you'll never be challenged on these issues

submitted 4 days ago • 20 comments

What makes a street exciting, relaxing, or stressful to walk on? A new study presents a systematic way to analyse how urban design shapes emotions. ✨ Lively streets excite 🎭 🌿 Green spaces relax 🍃 🏢 Monotony bores 🚗 Traffic stress 😨 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

"Time spent playing outdoors has declined by 50% in a generation & fewer than three in ten children say that they play out on the street." www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

"Active by day and dream-like at dusk, it glows like a lantern. In contrast to the austere monuments that populate the parks, it reminds us we should never take ourselves too seriously." www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/peter-c...

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

HOT RESEARCH NEWS! Motonormativity ("car brain") is a bias that stops people making rational judgements about driving en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motonor... Our new study shows where this bias comes from AND how it makes people think they're odd for supporting changes to the transport system 🧵

submitted 23 days ago • 32 comments

"Whether we're active or sedentary really plays a profound role in our health status... the evidence suggests your environment can have big implications for your social & emotional wellbeing too." www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

AN URBAN ALLEGORY A beautiful child's eye vision of the city in all its (extra)ordinariness from director Alice Rohrwacher (LA CHIMERA) & renowned street artist JR. Worth the watch 📽️ youtu.be/5XpztZXCP_U?...

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

"Ignoring children’s needs doesn’t just make streets unsafe for them, this also affects their independence/health and access to education/extracurricular activities. When kids can’t safely walk or bike, they miss out on opportunities to be active, explore and play.", americawalks.org/better-stree...

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

Children's independent mobility is not just a matter of individual choices, but a product of the environments we create. Shift the focus from simply mitigating risks for children in dangerous environments to creating environments that are safe & supportive of children's independence.

submitted 25 days ago • 1 comment

Good street planning & design has a multitude of benefits including: 💨less energy use and fewer emissions 🤝 better community connections ❤️ better health outcomes 🌻 improved amenity 🤫 less noise 🙂improved transport affordability 🔄 reduced traffic congestion 🛍️ benefits to local businesses 1 of 2

submitted 28 days ago • 1 comment

This 35-page bureaucratic document redefined the use of America’s streets, tailoring them to the benefit of the automotive industry. www.fastcompany.com/91267013/100...

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

"The social sustainability of an environment can be studied using two sets of indicators: the perceived quality of the living environment and the accessibility of everyday services." -Marketta Kyttä helda.helsinki.fi/items/0355d4...

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Heavier vehicles —> more particles More vehicles —> more particles Mode shift on short trips —> fewer particles

submitted 35 days ago • 1 comment

In an article in Nature in January, Canadian & Norwegian researchers pointed out the benefits of risky – but not outright dangerous – play, particularly outside, in helping children build transferable risk-management skills. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

submitted 38 days ago • 1 comment

The prompt is: "He is a boy. He’s from here, and you are responsible for him." 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴—on display at NCAD until 17th February— goes beyond stereotypes, showing that young men are more than how they’re often perceived. www.irishtimes.com/culture/art/...

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

"Urban planners...will no longer consider green spaces as expendable. Instead, nature will be seen as part of the critical infrastructure of a healthy city" If we can’t get to the forest, the forest must come to us, in the form of cities designed around green spaces. www.wired.com/story/health...

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

The answer (in part) = “Dutch drivers pay far more tax if they have a heavier car. The idea is to penalise those vehicles which most contribute to causing the potholes to help pay for the roads.”

submitted 42 days ago • 15 comments

Boissy-le-Chatel (77) A skateable work of art 🛹 - Constructo Skatepark + Inout Concept (design) / MBL Architectes + bureau David Apheceix (architects) / Camille Fréchou (landscaper) / Vulcano Skatepark (construction) 2019 www.constructo.fr/boissy-le-ch...

submitted 41 days ago • 1 comment

Two of the most popular articles I've written in the past couple of years were short pieces about play streets. I noticed that a lot of the people commenting talked about how it reminded them of the autonomy and independence they enjoyed in their childhood.

submitted 42 days ago • 1 comment

A new UK group is suggesting a five-point manifesto to address the rise of SUVs www.suv-alliance.org.uk

submitted 42 days ago • 7 comments

Outdoor time for children benefits both physical and mental health: 🌱 Fosters curiosity, independence & creativity 🏃‍♂️ Promotes movement & physical health www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/202...

submitted 44 days ago • 0 comments

"Are city streets places for pedestrians to hang out, or are they routes to be traversed as quickly as possible?" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments

“We need to think about big cars in the same way that we think about cigarettes: Affecting not just the user, but everyone around the user.” - Robert Proctor www.vox.com/future-perfe...

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

Let's play and connect! Here is a starter pack for knowledge exchange between everyone interested in children's #outdoorplay in #publicspaces. Including @alisonstenning.bsky.social, @aplayfulcity.bsky.social, @makespaceforgirls.bsky.social, etc Let me know if I'm missing anyone. go.bsky.app/QY6MWe8

submitted 57 days ago • 3 comments

A lambastinly good tongue in cheek video essay critique of the (alpha) "alpha bro doomsday vehicle" / "meme" from Adam Something is worth the watch... www.youtube.com/watch?si=MWg...

submitted 58 days ago • 0 comments

"Importantly, risk is not the same as danger. Danger is something a child isn’t equipped to notice or deal with... Risk changes with age & doesn’t always include things that look risky to adults." www.nature.com/articles/d41...

submitted 60 days ago • 0 comments

To make our public spaces more family-friendly, we need some clear changes in how we design our communities and how we think about children in public. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

submitted 65 days ago • 0 comments

"Creating Health & Wellbeing" A guide for local authorities linking between planning, design & public health. Advocating a shift from treating illness to fostering health through evidence-led planning & design in cities, towns & villages by addressing health inequalities proactively. 🧵1 of 2

submitted 68 days ago • 1 comment

🎉 2024 marked the 1st 🇺🇳 UN International Day of Play on June 11! A Playful City's Playful Streets were 1 of 4 projects as part of the International Day of Play Community Fund to invite communities across the world to host Playful Streets in their communities. www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2u6... 🧵

submitted 70 days ago • 1 comment

Retail boss reports buoyant Christmas trade in Dublin City Centre. A short 🧵 (journey) back through news headlines from 2024 ... www.businesspost.ie/news/electri...

submitted 72 days ago • 1 comment

The threshold effect of car dependency: "using a car just sometimes increases life satisfaction but if you have to drive much more than this people start reporting lower levels of happiness... to the point that the downsides outweigh the benefits.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...

submitted 72 days ago • 0 comments

Dublin’s traffic changes are transforming the city! 🚌 30% faster bus journeys 👥 30,000 more daily passengers ⏱️ Predictable travel times 🚶‍♂️ Parliament St traffic-free after 11 am 🚲Cycling link: Dame St to Bolton St 🌟 New plazas planned www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dubl...

submitted 73 days ago • 0 comments

🎉Another highlight of 2024: Reimagining Sheriff Street 🌈 Park! This community-led project, with APC & HubSpot, shows the power of collaboration to create vibrant, inclusive spaces. From workshops to playful prototypes, stakeholders shaped the vision. Excited to see this transformation unfold! 🌳🏃‍♂️

submitted 74 days ago • 1 comment

"Like smoking, a social tipping point could be close, where social acceptance of SUVs & car-dependence...declines rapidly...we will wonder how we tolerated oversized cars clogging up public space, like we now look back in amazement that smoking indoors was tolerated." www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

2024 highlight🎉 The Playful Streets Pilot with South Dublin Co Co: 💞 Stronger Communities 🤝 Enhanced Social Interaction 🚸 Safe Spaces for Play 🏃‍♂️ Increased Physical Activity 🔑 Streamlined Process for Road Closures 👍 100% of participants want the scheme to continue in 2025 youtu.be/4ONmTK3-ADQ?...

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

A lovely little promo celebrating the new Dublin Port Greenway! "You never forget your first Christmas bike ride"🎄🚲🥹 (The route also facilitates safe cycling within the port campus for its 4,000 workers too...) youtu.be/NwsUESSCR5Y?...

submitted 79 days ago • 0 comments

🚸This year's APC highlight countdown 4 of 10🎉 Empowering young voices: Over 500 children shaped a Sustainable School Route Design Guide for Portlaoise! 7/10 DRIVEN to school want to WALK or CYCLE. With playful design & green spaces the Southern Circular Road will be a safer, fun route to school!

submitted 80 days ago • 0 comments

This year's APC highlight countdown 3 of 10 🎉 ⭐️It was great news for Gorey!⭐️ This collaboration, inspired by Bauhaus principles, will transform the derelict heritage site into a vibrant community hub. Thanks to everyone who contributed to shaping Gorey's future! www.independent.ie/regionals/we...

submitted 81 days ago • 0 comments

Designing for the 35% Dinah Bornat on designing child-friendly neighbourhoods... Why does it matter? "There is a fundamental link between the amount of time & space a child has to play freely & their happiness, health & wellbeing." www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/opinion...

submitted 82 days ago • 0 comments

This year's APC highlight countdown 2 of 10 🎉 Love Our Laneways, a unique pilot project by APC in partnership with DLRCC, broke ground this year 2025. This initiative is built on the shared belief that bottom-up decision-making fosters sustainable, attractive & inclusive community spaces. 1of2

submitted 83 days ago • 1 comment

This year's APC highlight countdown 1 of 10 🎉 Rockfield Park Report for @dubcitycouncil.bsky.social How to design Dublin's small parks as play spaces! Our community-led designed "Play Pockets" concept integrates play throughout parks & highlights the benefits of reimagining play spaces.

submitted 83 days ago • 0 comments