CityLab Daily: The Art of Designing a Dangerous-Looking Playground
Also today: The cost of Memphis police killing falls on residents, and baseball fans help save a thousand trees in the heart of Tokyo.
Hang in there, baby.
Photo courtesy Mike Hewson
At first glance, Mike Hewson’s latest $1.8 million playground near Melbourne seems like no place for kids: Steel ladders and colorful ropes protrude out from jagged boulders, which appear to be loosely perched on wheeled dollies. But the dangers lurking are mostly illusions.
Hewson, an artist-engineer from New Zealand, is known for designing structures that may look like they could fall apart any minute, but are in fact firmly set in place. The playgrounds he’s built — four including this latest one — all invite exploration and (calculated) risk, while also conforming to Australia’s safety regulations. Their quirky features aren’t just for fun; childhood development experts say kids need this kind of risky play to develop physically, mentally and emotionally, writes contributor Mimi Kirk. Today on CityLab: This Risky Playground Is Deceptively Terrifying