Promoting play to improve children's health and well-being in American cities

A case for play investment

Play is essential to a child’s healthy development. However, the scarcity of places conducive to unstructured play has restricted access for many kids, particularly those from lower-income, rural, and Black and Brown communities. The Built to Play program has deployed $16.9M through KABOOM! and The Skatepark Project to grantees to enhance play spaces for children. Gehl conducted an Impact Assessment to explore the success of the program. 

The study began with assessing the 90 sites in the Built to Play portfolio to provide insight into the life and impact of Built to Play projects. Gehl observed that Built to Play projects generate outcomes across four scales: individual, site (project site), community, and system (development of play spaces). It was found that Built to Play projects increase the consistency of physical exercise in kids’ everyday lives and spur economic development locally. Overall, they provide a new model of grant-making in the play space and skatepark development world.

The team’s findings affirm that play is a unique platform for connecting people, places, communities, and systems. From setting up a similar program to building the case for recreation, the Built to Play impact assessment identifies lessons for people working at all stages of play-space development, expanding access and opportunity for building community.