Report: Commonplay

The project Commonplay was carried out to demonstrate how society can transition from centralized playgrounds to a decentralized network of play environments. The project was part of ArkDes Open Call 2021, under the theme “Shared Spaces and Interspaces”.
 Strategies were developed to transform everyday green spaces into diverse play systems with minimal ecological and economic impact.

The focus was on urban green commons—one of the most widespread types of public spaces in cities. Historically, these areas have played a vital role in the ecological, economic, and social systems of Swedish cities, but today they risk being perceived as forgotten spaces.

Through small, site-specific interventions, these commons were transformed from green voids into integrated play systems—becoming a natural part of the city’s structure. The process involved landscape architects, children and young people, researchers, and municipal officials. Project partners included landscape architects from Galaxen, Topias ↗ experimental urban planning studio, Upplands-Bro Municipality ↗, and researchers from SLU ↗. 
The project’s results and the application of the developed strategies are presented in a final report.