67 - The Best Playground Ever

67 - The Best Playground Ever

From Let's Find Out by Chris Chang-Yen Phillips

September 6, 2023 · 1h 3m · Episode 83

About this episode

The episode explores the quest for the best playground in Edmonton through interviews with experts and local enthusiasts.

Kathryn Gwun-Yeen 君妍 Lennon asks: what is the best playground in Edmonton? We crawl and swing through the past and present of playgrounds in our city to help her and her toddler on their quest. Kathryn and her family find themselves easily visiting 4 playgrounds in a weekend lately, and she estimates she visited around 30 different playgrounds last summer. So she’s been curious about finding the best one in town. She’s been thinking about how much shade and gathering space that playgrounds have, how close they are to other amenities, and how much her kid Yassin can challenge himself on equipment designed for a variety of ages. First, we spoke to Vancouver Island University professor Laura Suski, who’s been exploring the possibilities and limits of seeing playgrounds as heritage spaces. She’s been exploring questions like whether it’s more important to protect specific equipment or a space itself. Playgrounds, she points out, are one of the only public spaces where children are universally accepted as belonging in North America. Next, we met up with local playground afficionado Jill Footz, who runs the Edmonton Playgrounds website and social media accounts with her kids. During…

People in this episode

Guests: Laura Suski, Jill Footz

Topics covered

  • playgrounds
  • child development
  • urban spaces
  • heritage
  • community

Keywords

  • Edmonton playgrounds
  • heritage spaces
  • play equipment
  • family activities
  • community spaces

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Edmonton Playgrounds

Books & works: Vital Signs

Places: Edmonton, North America

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