Public landscapes designed to meet the specific needs of families offer a wide range of benefits from improved mental health to enhanced social connectivity to better developmental outcomes for children. One primary characteristic of family-friendly landscapes is that they support intergenerational use—when people of different generations have their needs met and can interact, play, and be outdoors together. This collection highlights public spaces designed to support families alongside research on the benefits that family-friendly places can provide.
“Accessibility is key to welcoming families. Waterloo Park's significant 54-ft grade change was negotiated through unique bridge design crossing Waller Creek along with an elevated, curvilinear pedestrian bridge, establishing an additional 1.5 miles of trails in downtown Austin. The park's design focused on accommodating families in particular because downtown Austin has experienced a decrease in family visits in recent years. ”
“Interaction with others outside their family unit in a safe setting can support childhood development. The flexible spaces at Yanaguana Garden were designed to support and encourage socialization for people across all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, and a third of park visitors were observed making new connections with other visitors during observation periods. ”
“When families utilize public space, their interactions with others can support feelings of trust in community and mental well-being. This toolkit provides guidance on observing and measuring social mixing across different economic groups in public spaces. ”
“Intergenerational use is a key aspect of family-friendliness. Trail design, diversity of programming, and seating, along with features attractive to multiple generations like ping pong tables and a labyrinth, offer a range of opportunities at this large Bozeman park. In a survey, 99% of 144 surveyed park visitors agreed that the space accommodates all ages. ”
“Cultural values can influence the unique needs of families. In this series of parks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designers honored local practices by providing outdoor family “privacy rooms,” limestone-walled enclosures high enough to screen views from adjacent public spaces and large enough to accommodate extended families for barbecues – the most popular outdoor activity for Saudis. ”
“Being outdoors is recognized as an important way to ensure children and teens spend time away from their screens. This Australian study of children and their mothers showed how outdoor play time supports cooperative and easy-going social skills, as opposed to screen time. ”
“Emerging suburban communities in large urban areas like the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex often prioritize family-friendliness in order to compete for economic development opportunities and community growth. This central gathering space for growing historic downtown Lewisville supports multigenerational use and serves as a community gathering space, offering a range of benefits relating to sense of community, safety, improved quality of life, and more. ”
“Well-designed playgrounds can offer benefits for entire families, not just children. Among other important insights on key features of high-impact playgrounds, this study showcases the power of innovative playgrounds to support increased visitorship and catalyze physical activity. ”
“This tool offers protocols and resources for observers to track a site's users’ physical activity levels, activity types, genders, and estimated age and race/ethnicity during a specified time frame. The resulting data can be used to understand how much family play is occurring in play environments. ”
“Surveyed users of this renovated trail and new plaza in Carmel, Indiana commented on the plaza's family-friendliness, and 100% of 42 surveyed users agreed that it supports intergenerational use. Observational analysis confirmed that a diverse group of ages utilize the site, which has amenities like a splash pad and shuffleboard that invite use by people of multiple generations.”
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