Inclusive beyond the swings and slides: Exploring access and equity in Hong Kong’s playground

Play is critical for children’s growth and well-being, with playgrounds serving as primary venues for facilitating their advancement. While research has extensively studied inclusive playground design, addressing factors that may limit play experiences, the spatial accessibility of playgrounds remains understudied, particularly in high-density urban environments where space constraints and competing land uses create unique challenges for equitable provision. Through comprehensive spatial analysis, this study investigates playground accessibility using Hong Kong’s New Towns and metropolitan areas as a case study, revealing significant disparities across different socio-demographic contexts. The results demonstrate substantial inequalities in playground accessibility, with complex relationships emerging between income levels, population density, and access patterns at different spatial scales. The study further reveals the role of public housing estates as a basic but essential guarantee for playground provision and underscores the need for targeted metrics and transparency in planning standards. These findings necessitate a targeted and responsive prioritisation in future urban facility planning to ensure equitable accessibility. This research lays the groundwork for urban planning principles that advocate for more balanced, engaging, and suitable playground planning, acknowledging children as essential urban dwellers and working toward making cities more habitable and delightful for everyone.