ABOUT US
At Cities for Play we aim to inspire communities, councils and city planners to create playful and child-friendly cities. We explore how the built environment can promote children's health and well-being with a focus on play and active mobility. We believe that children's needs should be at the heart of city design which will in turn create resilient and sustainable communities.
Founded in 2017 by architect Natalia Krysiak, Cities for Play works with the public, private and civil sectors to create more playful and child-friendly communities. We do this through through research, advocacy, community engagement and design at various scales. Our design portfolio predominantly focuses on creating Play Space Strategies with the intention of creating playful communities through diverse play experiences which are unique to their needs.
Follow us on Instagram or Twitter to stay up to date with events, projects and inspiration. For more information about our research, design and engagement services get touch via email.
Leadership
WHAT WE DO
Designing Playful Cities
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PLAY SPACE STRATEGIES
Through a co-creation approach with the community and an understanding of local context, we create unique play-space strategies designed for new or existing neighbourhoods or building developments. A play space strategy will include a connected network of play opportunities aimed at providing a diverse palette of playable experiences which is unique to the needs of the community.
Through workshopping and engagement programs with both children and adults, we not only uncover a deeper understanding of place and community uniqueness but also empower community on how to create more playful environments. By engaging with community on the topic of playable neighbourhoods we are able to achieve more meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
ADVOCACY
At Cities for Play we aim to inspire communities, planners, designers and developers on how to create more playful and child-friendly communities. We run a series of forums, events and workshops each year with the aim of engaging with communities and sharing inspiring ideas. To stay up to date with events and workshops, follow us on Instagram or Twitter.
RESEARCH
Over the past few years, Cities for Play has undertaken a number of research initiatives which aim to further understanding what makes a neighbourhood playful and child friendly. Our research work has enabled us to publish guidelines, articles and publications which share best-practice ideas for playful city design. For more information on our research visit Publications.
Natalia Krysiak
Founder, Creative Lead
A practicing architect, play consultant and founder of Cities for Play, Natalia specialises in the design of child-oriented environments. She is a passionate advocate for playful cities and spaces, engaging in placemaking and research initiatives around the world. In 2019 Natalia was awarded a Churchill Fellowship exploring best practice for designing child-friendly, high density neighbourhoods in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada and the UK. Her research explores how we can create more playful and child-friendly urban environments.
Natalia has been an invited speaker to various national and international conferences including the Design Forum in London, UN Sustainable Development Conference in Singapore and the Salzburg Global Forum.
Read more about Natalia's work here or connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter or Email.