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Cologne wants to rename playground” to play and activity area”!
Cologne is planning to rename playgrounds “play and activity areas”. Decision in the city council on September 4th.
Cologne wants to rename playground” to play and activity area”!
Cologne plans to replace the word “playground” with the term “play and activity area”. This decision could have a significant impact on over 700 Cologne playgrounds, as the city administration explains. The reason given for this step is that the term “playground” is perceived as a “limiting term” that excludes young people in particular. However, Mayor Henriette Reker is undecided about the plans and notes that Cologne is faced with other, more significant challenges WELT reports that….
There is already a city resolution from the youth welfare committee from almost two years ago that suggested replacing the signs for Cologne playgrounds. Reker emphasizes that the significance of this renaming has not yet been sufficiently recognized and that the city council will decide on this proposal on September 4th. “The term ‘playground’ is clear and understandable,” she says, demanding that the decision should not be made hastily Radio Euskirchen adds that….
The reactions of the citizens of Cologne
The reaction to the city administration's plans is mixed. While some see the step as necessary to encourage more young people to use the space, others see it as an unnecessary renaming that distracts from pressing problems. The critical voices, which are supported by Mayor Reker, remind us that many of the existing playgrounds - some since the 1960s - are in poor condition and should urgently be renovated or redesigned City and Green points out that….
Play spaces are an indispensable resource for the development of children and young people. The question is whether the planned renaming will actually make a noticeable difference or whether the urgently needed investment in the quality and safety of the playgrounds should be the priority. Despite limited budgets and increasing demands on traffic safety, it is a positive task for local politicians to introduce new or redesigned scope. It is clear that citizen participation should be integrated into the planning process to address local concerns City and Green states that....
Of course, it remains to be seen what the city council will decide in September. Regardless, the discussion shows that the issue of scope not only concerns the need for new signs, but also triggers a broader debate about the design and use of public spaces in Cologne.