Play In Peril

Alarms are sounding throughout the halls of Congress, the White House, and our schools. Play is under assault, and in some ways, so is our sense of community.

On February 10, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama announced a new initiative to end childhood obesity called “Let’s Move!“.  Let’s Move! targets improving kid’s diets and physical activity by providing information and direction to parents, schools, public officials, health care providers, cooks and communities.  Through this comprehensive effort, Let’s Move! has increased awareness of the impacts of poor health habits and the benefits of making better choices on a daily basis.

Earlier this month, Senator Mark Udall (D) of Colorado introduced S.1802 – Healthy Kids Outdoors Act of 2011, a bill “to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out programs and activities that connect Americans, especially children, youth, and families, with the outdoors.”  S.1802 would give states incentives to get the public more engaged with the natural world.  Although the bill represents a step in the right direction, the overall limit on funding of $15 million from 2013 to 2017 is mere drop in the bucket compared to what is truly needed.

Last week I travelled to Atlanta to attend the annual meeting of the National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA). The NRPA’s mission is to “educate professionals and the public on the essential nature of parks and recreation”.  I’ve attended their annual expo as an exhibitor for nearly a decade and this was my first as an attendee, giving me the chance to freely discuss the state of the recreation industry and the trends that are shaping its future.  From what I could glean, the current state of the commercial playground industry mirrors the condition of America’s youth.

The rules of recreation have changed.  What today’s generation of kids find compelling, engaging and challenging has changed.  Age compression, technology, fears of litigation, over scheduled parents and kids, fear of the boogie man and other influences have all conspired to detract, detach and distract us from getting outdoors.

No Child Left Behind has forced many schools to forego recess in order to prepare students for mandatory academic testing.  In fact, NCLB has no provision for physical fitness, ignoring the link between physical and mental health.  Recess has been relegated to non-essential and has been cut in many schools.  This trend has sparked a “Right to Recess” campaign, showing what parents and caregivers already know – healthy bodies means healthy minds.

Age compression is phenomenon that we’ve all seen – kids getting older younger.  They’re abandoning classic tactile games for screens.  Technology has become the medium they use and in doing so, they’ve immersed themselves in environments designed for them, not by them, replacing self-motivated creativity with programmed paths and outcomes.  The outdoors represents ambiguity – a setting that has no programmed purpose or goal.

For parents that strive to provide experiences that teach lessons, measurable benefits and something that will help children do better in school, playtime doesn’t have high scores, winners or grades.  Despite numerous studies to the contrary, free-play has been relegated to a  a luxury they feel their children can’t afford.  As a kid growing up in a small town in Michigan, my most creative moments, those which allowed me to take risks, build my confidence, and fully explore my imagination, usually came right after I hit the bottom of boredom.  My parents, acting not out of neglect but simply not accepting the role as my entertainment guide answered my complaints of boredom with disdain not distraction.  “Go outside”, was their typical response.  So I did.

The entrance to one of many forts I built in the woods growing up.

In today’s world of Amber Alerts and media sensationalism, many parents are reluctant to doing the same today, fearing they’re putting their kids at risk, despite studies that show these horrible types of crimes have actually decreased. In addition, kids are becoming more limited in the distance they are allowed to travel from home and are finding fewer places to play.  Isolation harms our connectedness profoundly.

Technology, particularly video games, have also played an important role in occupying the finite time kids have for free-play.  At a symposium titled, “Generation Play”, Dimitri Williams, Associate Professor in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California spoke to the audience on this issue as well as other influences impacting outdoor play.  Video games have found there way into every aspect of our kids’ lives from recreation to learning and to every age group.  When I grew up, there was only one screen in the house – and I was the family remote.  Today, kids have mobile devices and TVs in their own rooms which further fragments the family.  In addition, gaming companies have designed video games for children as young as two.  As a parent, its easier to identify these tools and to remove or limit their use to encourage other creative outlets, but there are other, less obvious influences as well.

An example of the seemingly innocuous trends that have eroded our sense of community is architecture.  With the advent of the car and the desire to have the convenience of going from the car to the house, front porches have been replaced with two car garages.  The front porch has traditionally been the space where communities interact, observe and welcome the outside world.  Instead, designers have refocused the social component of homes on the backyard, further isolating us from our neighbors and limiting our interaction. Instead of sending our kids to the neighborhood playground, we’ve built them in our backyard, creating compounds that insulate us from the world around us and slowly assaulting our sense of community.  Today, you’re more likely to see two-car garages lining our streets rather than front porches.

In Atlanta, walking the aisles of the NRPA Expo the latest efforts by the world’s leading playground manufacturers were on display.  Each offered their own solutions to getting kids back to the playground, from natural play environments featuring fiber-formed boulders to a military-style boot camp obstacle course.   It was clear to me that many of the companies are facing a tough market.  With declining sales, there isn’t a lot of budget left for developing new products.  Short of having something new to show, I saw a few booths with stacks of handouts featuring computer renderings of new products to come, when development budgets allow for the next step.

Innovation in our approach will be a key to getting us back outside.  Peaceful Playgrounds is a company that repurposes existing playground blacktops into places that get kids moving while teaching them sportsmanship, conflict resolution and safety.  In cities across the country, efforts to rebuild our communities into sustainable, walkable and engaging spaces are still under way.  Experiments such as pop-up parks are showing up in underused urban spaces more frequently as recreation departments strive to engage the public in physical fitness and fun.  To help remind children of their connection to nature, more emphasis is being placed on incorporating natural design elements in daycares and commercial sites.  Children and Nature showcases the efforts being made by landscape architects and corporate partners.

The solution won’t be to simply target children, but the family and community as a whole. Designing spaces where kids and adults can be active together, each finding an appropriate challenge, will address not just our need for stronger bodies, but stronger communities too.  By focussing on new, creative solutions that meet the needs of today’s generations we can reconnect with the outdoors and perhaps get a little healthier too.

Leaving It Better Than We Find It

No one understands the challenges cities face today with budget cuts and staffing reductions than your local and state park and recreation departments.  When public officials consider slashing what they consider to be “non-essential” expenditures, our parks are often the first to fall under the budget ax.   Communities across the country feel the effects of this crisis with playgrounds and parks in disrepair being mothballed, unsafe playgrounds becoming a greater liability, and community centers facing reduced hours or being closed altogether.  In times of economic duress or even natural disasters, its become clear that our parks have become a victim of financial realities and also of how some public officials understand the function and value of our public spaces.

Not everyone is waiting for a new budget cycle or rebound in the economy to do something.  Several non-profits, businesses, and individual contributors have made it their mission to help fill the budget gap because they understand the positive impact of quality recreation spaces.  I’ve been involved with several of these organizations and seen the amazing transformation of a community through investments in public parks.

After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August 2005 and devastated entire coastal communities, actor Brad Pitt decided he need to do something.  Leveraging his celebrity capital and his passion for architecture, Pitt founded Make It Right.  His goal is to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward community with 150 sustainable, affordable homes.  When contacted by Tim Duggan, a friend and architect on the project about their plans for a playground, I told him I was “all in”.  Within weeks we marshaled the resources needed, developed the site plan and with a team of volunteers and staff in tow, the playground build was underway – but not without some problems.

During the week of construction, Hurricane Gustav was barreling down on the Gulf Coast and threatening to devastate a community who’s rebuilding was just in its infancy. Throughout the week we reviewed Gustav’s progress and as its path became more defined, it was clear New Orleans was looking at another direct hit.  With nervous volunteers on site and evacuation orders pending, we were given the choice of abandoning the unfinished playground to face the second most destructive storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, or work through the night to get it done.  When I presented the options to the group, there wasn’t much question.  We decided to finish the site which would make it better suited to withstand Gustav’s impact.  Back in Seattle and watching the news, I saw coverage of the levee’s overtopping which happened to be about 200 yards from where the playground was built.  Fortunately, the levees didn’t fail and the playground survived with less severe damage to the neighborhood.  The playground is an integral part of the burgeoning community and provides a place for fun, renewal and family.  Today, Pitt’s efforts continue with the help of generous donors, gifted architects and a likewise committed staff.

Founded not out of necessity created by natural disaster but the hope of positive, enduring legacy, the LA84 Foundation was started with proceeds that were generated by the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.  Patrick Escobar, Vice President of Grants and Programs notes that since its inception, the foundation has funded more than twice the amount of foundation’s original endowment.  LA84’s impact can be seen throughout Los Angeles County with upgraded athletic fields, youth sports programming and community outreach promoting the value of sports.

Founded by football coach, Pete Carroll, another LA-based non-profit is A Better LA.  Coach Carroll says, “ We are here to make a better Los Angeles one neighborhood at a time.  Are you IN?”  Their targets are very clear and their focus is sharp:  reducing gang violence and helping to create safer places for kids to play.  Working with several community partners, A Better LA has reached thousands of families and helped to make a difference in communities that need it most. I talked to Coach Carroll at the opening of a new recreation space called the Win Forever facility at the Lennox Youth Center.  “This is what its all about.  Just look at the kids and see how they feel when people show they care”.  His enthusiasm was infectious as he led a game of h-o-r-s-e on the new basketball court and as he jumped on a skateboard and took off toward the facilities new skate park.

On a national scale, the non-profit KaBoom!  has been working for 15 years to “create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities”.  Darell Hammond, the organization’s founder wants every child to be able to walk to a playground and to date has built more than 2,000 playspaces.  Recently, I met with Darell in Seattle where he spoke at a supporter’s home to present his mission to 50 attendees and before he hopped on a plane to China to accept Schwab’s award for US Social Entrepreneur of the Year.  As we talked Darell said, “We’ve got to do more.  With obesity rates reaching epidemic levels and kids in need of a safe place to play, I’m committed to making it happen”.

My dad taught be many valuable lessons.  One of the few that actually stuck was when he told be to “Leave it better than how you found it”.  Whether its picking up wrapper on a playground or putting the stray grocery cart back in its stall, I still try to live by those words.  For these organizations and many more, the communities may differ but the missions are all similar: making their communities better than how they found them.   If you want to help them to keep making a difference, I encourage you to do what you can and help meet a need that is only going to grow.

A Neophyte In The Desert

In the summer of 2005 I was in the beautiful weeds of work. As the VP of Sales & Marketing for an international recreation products company, I was traveling to trade shows, sales rep meetings, conducting seminars and found myself in my own bed less frequently than a hotel’s. I loved my job and was happy to spread the word and help make a difference in parks across the country, but I could tell it was taking a toll, both on me and my family. I recall during a visit home between travels, my wife, Allison telling me about a camping trip she was planning for just the two of us to Nevada. We’d be going with her good friend who’s been going for years. Great. The perfect chance to relax and have some quality time with Allison and get a much need connection with nature.

I had a trade show in Florida right before so I planned on flying into Reno and meeting her there to head to the wilderness. Allison assured me that she’d take care of all the essentials and I only had to show up at RNO at the appointed time. The meetings in Florida went well and I made it to Reno without a hitch. I didn’t have much equipment besides a suit, golf shoes and sunscreen. No matter. I’ve spent summers living in the woods and I’d be fine. We hopped in the rental car and headed for the hills.

The first hint that I may have miscalculated my inventory of provisions came at the entrance to the camp. I lowered my New York Times and viewed what was to be one of the most challenging, provoking, and amazing sites I’d ever seen. We had arrived at the gates of Burning Man and were welcomed by Flower, a bald, muscular and dust covered naked greeter. Allison was driving with her pal, Emily riding shotgun and Flower asked simply, “Any virgins aboard?” I wasn’t sure what he meant but the rest of my group did. “Yes” was the answer and we were then asked to exit the vehicle. We were guided over to a large bell where Flower instructed us to ring the bell, roll in the dust of the desert and get spanked if we choose. We all opted for the hat-trick and my Hugo Boss outfit never looked the same, or so good. I knew then I was in for a radical attitude adjustment.

We made it to our camp which was located at “5:00 and Anxious”. Hellos were exchanged, drinks were poured and we were off. We spend the next 4 of 5 days immersed in the most creative, sensory challenging, and exotic environment I’ve ever experienced.

Black Rock City is erected for 1 week a year and is where unbridled creative energies are allowed to flourish. With a background in design and a career focussed on building beautiful recreation spaces, I was on overload. Art installations, art cars, camp themes and personal wardrobe are the canvasses for burner’s expression. Without the limitations of liability or public scrutiny, creative visions are allowed to come to life. And the art, especially the interactive installations were incredible.

Burning Man is also home to a sense of community that is truly unique. There is no bartering, trading, or concessions. People simply give to give and expect nothing in return. Allison came fully prepared and procured a gross of back scratchers beforehand which we doled out to folks in line to get ice, on their bikes on the playa, and even to the random person who wandered into our camp. The kindness was returned threefold by the camp that spent the week cooking bacon, or the camp that grilled hotdogs every day…all day.

After this transformative week, we had a lot to process. Soon after it was decided that we would return but not merely as residents, but as participants. Given my position, we went back to Black Rock City in 2010 and installed a playground on the playa. Titled “Tom Lindhardt’s Tulips” we dug into the ground 6 spinning bowls in a circle.

During the week, word of the playground spread throughout the 50,000 dwellers and we saw people return day after day to discover and rediscover our little contribution to the mass social experiment in the desert. The spinning feature of the bowls was not readily clear. Standing nearby, we watched people examine the colorful bowls. They would first look a little confused and then they would spin them with their hands discovering the bowls little secret. Before long, curiosity would compel them to take a seat and enjoy the full magic the bowl contained. Ambiguity had been erased and they finally got it. And so did we.

 

Designing an “Ideal World”

There’s just something about an Alexander Calder (1898-1976) sculpture I find irresistible.  I’ve stumbled upon them while visiting the Louisiana Modern Museum of Art outside Copenhagen, skating in downtown Chicago and most recently right here in Seattle at the SAM’s Olympic Sculpture Park.  Calder’s outdoor sculptural work  is shaped by whimsical forms made from hardened steel.  His balanced use of steel, color spots and movement engage the viewer in a power struggle between the art and the energy of its environment.

When the SAM opened the sculpture park in Seattle, I was eager to share my passion for large-scale sculptures with my two daughters.  I imagined the forms would seem even larger to them.  We arrived at the park and immediately both girls ran to Calder’s “Eagle”.  When viewing art, kids remind us how to do it right.  They have to explore every inch by touching, feeling and even climbing, if possible.  They understand their world by fully engaging every sense they have, and the most exciting is tactile.  However, their innate sense of curiosity was soon cut short by a small but well-placed sign right in front of the Eagle.

Their curiosity was short-circuited not just on the Eagle but on Richard Serra’s piece as well.  Actually, everything in the park was “hands off”.  What a missed opportunity.  While heading up the playground company, I spoke to a contact at the SAM and offered to help pro bono.  Just give me a space and I’ll make a playable sculpture that would not only engage kids, but would teach them to fully appreciate art, in ways that only kids can – by playing.  Despite my efforts to fill what I felt was a void, I was told that a “playground did not fit within the vision of the park”.    Don’t get me wrong, I think the Sculpture Park is stunning.  Its on the short list of places to visit when we have friends come to town and my wife and I recently had a date there to dance to swing which was sponsored by Seattle Parks.  But when did “play” become a bad word?

Another missed opportunity I believe was the site of the World Trade Center Memorial.  When I learned of plans forming for a space to remember the horrific attacks of September 11th, 2001 in lower Manhattan, I contacted the Lower Manhattan Development Commission (LMDC) to offer another pro bono play sculpture space.  I imagined visiting the site with my family and explaining to my daughters what happened and what its meant since.  I pictured a solemn scene and then a need to show my kids that everything is OK.  I pictured a close-by retreat where we could remind ourselves that, bad things happen, but life goes on.  Kid’s laughter is a sign of hope.  I felt it could be an important part of the experience for everyone who visits the site.  Again, I was told that a play area was not part of the vision.

Despite these disappointments, there are some exceptional examples of places that have embraced a playful spirit within their design and even made it a central focus.  One of my favorite sculptures is the 1959 sculpture by Jose de Creeft titled Alice in Wonderland in Central Park.  Its huge with comical forms from Lewis Carroll’s story and has a smooth bronze patina that proves what I know – kids love to explore art.

Several famous designers have actually lent their skills to create play sculptures for children.  Richard Dattner’s Playcubes, Tom Lindhardts colorful sculptures and Isamu Noguchi’s landscapes are some wonderful examples.

Isamu Noguchi’s(1904-1988) playground designs were featured in the March-April 1968 cover of Art in America.

Unfortunately, few of his designs were actually built.  Atlanta features a park with his play sculptures but he was frustrated he could not find a home  for his designs in New York City.  In the 1930’s he worked with the Commissioner of parks, Robert Moses, but was quickly dismissed because Noguchi wanted to use color in his designs which Moses rejected according to Noguchi, because “they have to be a dirty brown.”  Color signals “play” for children and is an immediate attractor like flowers to bees.      In 1939 Noguchi was featured his designs in a New York City gallery and the gallery owner, Julien Levy loved them so much he arranged a meeting with parks officials to discuss building them in city parks.  Liability was cited as a concern and again, Noguchi was rejected.  For a third time, Noguchi was approached to design a playground for America’s Park – Central Park.  Once again, the timing was considered poor and instead they built bomb shelters.  In 1952 Noguchi finally got his chance to design a playground in New York City for the new United Nations campus.  But his nemesis, parks commissioner Robert Moses rejected it again and the design was never realized.

Noguchi continued to design sculptural play items which were better received in Japan.  His most notable design is the fluid “Circuit Slide”.

Noguchi stated, “You see, for me playgrounds are a way of creating the ideal world.  Its not a job.  Its a way of creating an ideal land – on a smaller scale.  Its nothing specific.  Its topology I’m interested in – a land in which one can run around at 3 feet high.  The very restrictions make room for the more intense experience of childhood – where the world is newer, fresher and where you have a kind of geometric confrontation with the world.”

Noguchi was insightful where others saw impediments.  He embraced the limitless imaginations of kids instead of hindered it.  Perhaps more of our public spaces would become more engaging if we let artists and kids do what they do best – play.