Cologne playground dilemma: parents are finally demanding new equipment!

Cologne playground dilemma: parents are finally demanding new equipment!

What's going on in Cologne? Certainly, concerned parents have their eyes on the city's playgrounds, and not without reason. The situation in many parts of the city is anything but rosy: weeds, garbage and a lack of play equipment give the popular retreats for children a sad appearance. The districts of Neubrück, Humboldt-Gremberg, Ehrenfeld and Porz-Ensen are particularly affected. Marius Nieweg from Ehrenfeld complains that playground equipment was dismantled without new ones being made available. A worrying state of affairs that leaves frustrated parents and children alike.

An example from Ehrenfeld is the playground on Platenstrasse, which is due to have new equipment in 2026 after cleaning up pollutants. Roland Held from Weiden is also concerned about the situation: two of the ten playgrounds in his area are empty, and he has been waiting in vain for new equipment on Schulstrasse for 16 years. His suggestion that schoolyards be used for play outside of school hours has not yet been taken up.

City plans long-term solutions

The city of Cologne has reacted under pressure from parents' complaints and points to a staff shortage that is complicating the situation. A redesign of the playgrounds in Weiden is planned for 2028, and a total of seven million euros have been made available for the renovation and modernization of playgrounds for the years 2023 and 2024. There is also news about the opening of a new park on Glashüttenstrasse in Porz on October 25th. As the city emphasizes, of over 700 playgrounds, only one to two percent are completely or partially closed.

Landscape architect Rainer Kronenberg is critical of the existing challenges: Particular attention is paid to the old play equipment, which often cannot be easily replaced if the fall protection no longer meets current standards. Kronenberg calls for greater inclusion of children and daycare centers in the planning. This idea is also gaining ground through the realization that children and young people are valuable experts in the world they live in Garden landscape reported.

Child participation as a key to improvement

But what is really behind the idea of ​​children's participation in urban planning? Many see this as a playful element, but it is much more: a crucial approach for residents who want to develop livable cities. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and national laws in Germany and Austria explicitly address the participation of children in decisions that affect them. However, these legal requirements often have no lasting effect, as the practical challenges, such as a lack of resources and unclear responsibilities, often outweigh them.

If cities manage to actively involve children in the planning process, then it's not just the little ones who benefit. It promotes social justice and contributes to the resilience of cities to crises. The key to implementation lies in selecting suitable methods, be it through workshops, digital surveys or interactive maps. Digitalization in particular could open up new possibilities here, but should not replace valuable analogue encounters.

In summary, the city of Cologne has set itself ambitious goals, but practical implementation faces major challenges. It is important that even the smallest citizens are included in the planning, because they know best what they need to grow up fulfilled. If you like, then this is a joint task for the city administration and its young citizens - because there is something to be achieved!