Playscapes – development of a web map of play spaces

Introduction and aim

How accessible are playgrounds in the world’s cities? Where do children have safe, nearby places to play, move, and meet friends – and where are such spaces missing altogether?

With Playscapes it is now possible to explore these questions in detail. Developed by researchers at the World Playground Research Institute, the Swedish consultancy Spacescape, and web design firm On A Wednesday Afternoon (OAWA), Playscapes allows users to compare playground access across cities worldwide — from a global overview down to the neighborhood level.

Click here to try Playscapes

This is currently a beta-version for testing, and we kindly invite everyone to explore the map and share their feedback in the built-in feedback function. Testing will continue until the end of November 2025.

What is Playscapes?
Access to places for play is crucial for children’s health and development. Studies show that there can be large differences in playground access in cities around the world, but also that there often is a lack of data and knowledge on access to places for play.

A web-based map of playgrounds and other places for play can help change this inequity by supporting urban planning and academic research. A worldwide playground map can also help families find good places for play, promoting outdoor activity and child development. Urban planners can use spatial data to identify underserved areas, ensuring equitable distribution of places for play.

The web-based platform will support research in urban planning, child well-being, and public health by providing insights into playground accessibility. By integrating this with smart city strategies and leveraging GIS and open data, this initiative fosters the development of sustainable and inclusive urban environments.

It not only improves public health and social interaction but also supports data-driven policies for future playground investments, creating healthier, smarter, and more child-friendly cities.

Read more about how Playscapes works and what it can be used for here.

Timeline

A beta-version of the Playscapes map was launched in October 2025. Testing will continue until the end of November 2025.

What we expect

The web map will be developed by the Swedish planning consultancy Spacescape and web designer On A Wednesday Afternoon (OAWA) in collaboration with researchers at the University of Southern Denmark. Together, they will develop an interactive digital web map of playgrounds. The web map will be available at playgroundresearch.org and show playgrounds as well as the playground accessibility of neighborhoods.

In its first version, the web map will cover cities with more than 50.000 inhabitants. From the base model, there are many opportunities to add more analytic features and data points, such as sports fields, schools, and smaller cities.