Cologne abolishes playground”: What is behind the expensive shield change?

Cologne abolishes playground”: What is behind the expensive shield change?

in Cologne it will soon be colorful on the playgrounds- or rather on the new "play and action areas". The city has decided to exchange about 2000 signs that bear the well -known term "playground". This step is not undisputed and causes heated discussions in the Rhine metropolis. This project is a comprehensive redesign that is not only financially but also socially ambitious. According to Süddeutscher Zeitung cost the development of the new, inclusive boards in the past few months.

With the new name "play and action area", the city administration not only wants to modernize the term but also inclusive. The children and adolescents of Cologne city area should be included in the process, which is entirely in the sense of current social demands. With regard to the numerous different users, the diversity of age, cultural background and possible disabilities are taken into account. The signs are replaced gradually, since many of the existing signs are damaged and in need of renovation. This decision was recently presented to the city's youth welfare committee, as N-tv

Inclusion and colorful variety

But what exactly can we expect on the new signs? These are provided with numerous colorful figures that drive activities such as skateboard, play ball or show digging in the sand. This form of presentation should not be able to draw any conclusions about the age, the cultural background or possible disabilities of the users. It is important that the child's noise on the new areas remains allowed. After all, it is an informative sign that is intended to promote the protected stay of children and adolescents in public space.

The city of Cologne has more than 700 playgrounds, and that is good business for the community. With this new concept, the city wants to strengthen the encounter of all ages and at the same time promote the idea of ​​inclusion. The youth administration worked on this project for a year and also took into account the opinions and wishes of the future users. For this purpose, around 38,000 euros were scheduled for the participation process in the 2023 budget. A clear message: here is something!

sign exchange and the question of costs

The specific costs for the exchange of the signs are not yet precisely quantified, since they depend on individual prices and the order quantity. Older signs that are still functional stop. From autumn only the outdated or damaged signs will gradually be replaced what the city will employ over a longer period of time. This creative approach to the redesign of playgrounds is not only skeptical by many Cologne, but also criticized as little, one remembers fictional places like Schilda, which are known for their nonsense. Nevertheless, the city consistently continues its plan and shows that the play instinct of man - in the words of Friedrich Schiller - combines the pursuit of bliss and moral perfection, according to the Spiegel .

It remains to be seen whether the new "play and action areas" will arrive at the Cologne families. However, it is clear that the city of Cologne will be open to new ideas in the future in order to offer all citizens, young and old, space for development. Even one or the other trend could develop that could be smiled about in a few years.