PLAYGROUND: A PLACE TO CREATE NEIGHBORHOOD ATTACHMENT

Abstract

Playgrounds in public housing estates are areas for children to interact and have fun. They are planned at accessible and safe locations around the neighborhoods. Playground designs and equipment are chosen based on functionality, play value and safety considerations. Through playing at the playgrounds, children would develop friendships that would influence their attachment to the neighborhoods.

Residents living in Jurong East, Tampines and Woodlands were surveyed. Children between 6 to 12 years old were rather attached to their neighborhoods as indicated by the positive responses for the three components of neighborhood attachment - place identity, place dependence and social bonding. With improvements to neighborhood security and safety, children would have more opportunities to engage in interactions and thus enhancing their neighborhood attachment.

A positive relationship was established between frequency of visits to playground and number of playmates at playground. With more visits to playgrounds, children would have more playmates. The social relationships formed would induce children’s attachment to their neighborhoods. With the centralized planning approach adopted in public housing estates, similar levels of neighborhood attachment were observed across the six playgrounds installed during the early and late 2000s in the three towns.

Through the improvement of playground safety and the provision of unique and larger playgrounds, children would be encouraged to frequent the playgrounds and engage in socialization. The continuous planning of playgrounds near to other amenities and the provision of fun-to-play equipment and safe play environment would continue to promote children’s interactions and enhance their attachment to the neighborhoods.