An Analysis of Children’s Play Area Designs in Istanbul During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Learning new skills for child development and the play areas where this can happen is a big part of the educational process for early childhood. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and babies faced challenging times, sometimes even what we would describe as trauma, related to the environment to which they were exposed. Children and babies, like their families, were locked in houses without access to educational buildings like schools, museums or other kinds of children’s activities. The only place where children could channel their energies, where they could be physically active, relax or learn something, was at a children's playground because this was the only place where they spent time apart from at home. As a result, children's playgrounds became more important than usual. This study aims to provide a design analysis in an interdisciplinary way, combining architecture, landscape architecture and psychology. The study uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies through surveys and a discussion of survey results in light of knowledge from previous studies. Data for the study was sourced through two online surveys with parents, which were implemented at different times during the pandemic. All children, regardless of age, gender, language, religion, and race, need environments where they can develop, thrive, and learn, and this is equally true in challenging situations like a pandemic. Since design is an integral part of this process, we wanted to raise awareness of this critical issue.