Built for play: designing affordances for child-led play in Chelmsford, Sudbury

Abstract

As opportunities for free play continue to decline, children are experiencing increasing social, mental, and physical challenges. Although play is essential to a child’s overall well-being and development, access to free play has been limited by increased schooling and extracurricular activities, as well as increased concerns regarding child safety. To better encourage active participation in play, this thesis seeks to understand a child’s perception of space using affordance theory. Through an affordance-based analysis, this thesis identifies the action possibilities of environmental features and play elements, drawing upon an established functional taxonomy. The design process builds upon these affordances, expanding on existing interactions to make opportunities for play more accessible. Therefore, this thesis proposes a series of small-scale interventions along the Whitson River trail in Chelmsford, Sudbury. Together, these interventions encourage both destination and pass-by play, integrating play into children’s daily routines.