Parks

This week we visited a few playground around the city. We visited three around the Kobenhaven and Osterboro neighborhood and one in Reffen. I also have seen a few while biking and walking around throughout the week. One of the things I noticed here was the abundancy of green space, whether playground or park, and the sound of birds. Not only are the parks abundant but they are large. In college, I used to think that I was a city person and would have no problem living in one, but over the years I've come to realize that isn't true. If I had to pick a city of those I've traveled to, I would pick Copenhagen because of the accessibility to abundant greenspace. You can also walk through the city and smell nature instead of trash or grime. 

On Thursday, we visited Traffic Garden, which is a staffed playground, primarily for youth, that teaches people how to ride bicycles. The playground was built to simulate what biking around town would be like so children can practice beforehand. The staff member said that 80% of their traffic (pun intended) comes from bicycle lessons, while the other percentage focuses on biking rules. The youngest person they have taught to ride a bike was 3 years old! I think I learned how to ride a bike around 6 or 7. The staff member said that they really like to teach children young so the bicycle culture is engrained in their everyday lives. I think that I was taught to ride a bike so I would have another form of play. We never explicitly travelled by bicycle for errands or to reach a destination. If we did, it was rare enough that it didn't make an impact. 

Youth Bicycles at Traffic Garden

Viewing other playgrounds I noticed that each one was designed to reflect the surrounding built environment. You can tell that the landscape architects or planners put thought behind the purpose of the playground. I feel like in the U.S., a lot of playgrounds are similar and aren't destinations. When I was younger, my mom would take my brother and I around to different playgrounds to explore them all. I've also noticed that most playgrounds have features for varying ages. They are also often fenced it but not in an aggressive or unwelcoming way. My favorite fun feature was a pile of wood pieces that kids could put together to build things - like lifesize Lincoln Logs. 

Neighborhood Park 

My favorite playground find was an open bouldering wall. I would love to have something like that at home. I didn't even know that bouldering was a sport before moving to Oregon. Creating parks with varied activites would create more exposure for all age ranges. Also in the U.S., I don't feel like we could have the Traffic Garden or the bouldering park without having to pay an entrance fee. Everything is for a fee and comes with a long list of safety requirements to do anything fun. 

Bouldering Park near Reffen