Play It Cool: Designing the Future of Play in a Warming World – January 29th @1PM ET

As the climate changes, so must the way we design for play. Climate resilience must address heat vulnerability and promote heat equity in cities. Our youngest and oldest residents are most at risk from rising heat, but also are most in need of access to high quality public spaces for play and relaxation. It is essential that landscape architects know how to advocate for elements that support the needs of our most vulnerable, as we strive for more equitable, livable cities. Rising temperatures, shifting play behaviors, and the need for all-day, all-age access will redefine how public spaces function.

Meghan Talarowski, founder of Studio Ludo, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to build better play through research, design, and advocacy, will share emerging trends in play design and global precedents. She will share how to design research-informed play spaces for all people in a changing future. We will discuss future projections of population and the impacts of demographics and behavior on play spaces. We will address climate resilience through play, examining how extreme heat affects play behavior, and exploring material and layout choices that influence climate resilience and sustainability. We will also profile built works that consider climate-sensitive design approaches to play spaces.

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

• Discover how rising heat will particularly impact our most vulnerable and why public space is a critical part of climate resilience.
• Explore best practice design guidance for extreme heat, shade, and expanded nighttime activity in playgrounds and play spaces.
• Understand how planning for heat equity is a multi-pronged approach that includes design, as well as management and maintenance.