A post-occupancy playground study: relation between user behaviour and design parameters

ABSTRACT

This post-occupancy study is targeted to provide guidelines for future playground design in Southeast Asia. It quantifies users’ behaviour and physical activity levels across the playground by behaviour mapping and assesses this against different design parameters, such as challenge level, area size, affordances, and construction costs. The study found that 1) users had a strong preference for challenging play settings with greater height and speed, 2) the effectiveness of a play setting in facilitating physical activity was a function of usage level, physical activity afforded, and capacity, and 3) multiple affordances could multiply the play setting usage.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr. Jabez Bok for advice in the design and execution of the study, and Ms. Annabella Tay Chin Chin, who provided editorial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).