The needs of children and their caregivers in new urban lifestyles : a case study of playground facilities in Hong Kong

Abstract

With an increasing number of working couples and a growing elderly population, young children are often taken care of by their grandparents or housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia. The interaction between children and caregivers has thus changed to accommodate urban life. Yet public facilities for children have not kept pace with contemporary demands. Facilities for children, including playgrounds, have failed to respond to the everyday life of children and caregivers. Taking playground as a case study, this paper examines the mismatch between current playground design and the urban lifestyles of caregivers and children in Hong Kong.