Given current events, it’s nice to see that some public officials in some locales are able to engage in creative and innovative projects that enhance the lives of those they serve. Perhaps other communities might begin to follow suit. From the New York Times:

New York Tries to Think Outside the Sandbox

New York City, with its rich history of public playgrounds, is on the verge of a bold experiment in the way children play, one that could accelerate the trend away from monkey bars, swings and seesaws used by generations of city children.

In an unusual public-private partnership, the city is developing a playground near the South Street Seaport that will have trained “play workers� on hand to help children interact with features of the new playground: water, ramps, sand and specially designed objects meant to spur the imagination.

The concept is not just another accouterment for Manhattan’s pampered toddler set. Rather, city officials say, it reflects the latest thinking about child-rearing. They hope the new playground concept will be replicated across the five boroughs and that it will serve as an inspiration for other cities.

“This is a very exciting idea in its physical presentation and its potential to change the way we think of playgrounds,� said the city’s parks commissioner, Adrian Benepe, adding that it could “once again put New York City on the cutting edge of playground design and development.�

Based on child-development theories that children need to engage in social and fantasy play rather than just build physical skills, the project was conceived and is being designed at no charge by David Rockwell, famous for creating adult play spaces like the restaurants Nobu and Café Gray and the Mohegan Sun casino and resort.

Although the space is to be open to the public, the play workers, a concept already popular in Europe, are being financed by Mr. Rockwell, who is raising $2 million privately to cover the costs.

The American playground of swing sets and steel monkey bars has already been evolving with more imaginative features in recent years. But behaviorists and others say planners could go even further to reflect more refined ideas about nurturing children, especially those younger than 12.

“Very little time is spent by kids in playgrounds if they have a choice,� said Roger Hart, who has been consulting with the Rockwell Group and the city in developing the playground. He is also a director of the Children’s Environments Research Group at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. “They limit the repertoire of play to children’s physical activity,� instead of encouraging the kind of social, sensory, interactive and individual fantasy play that children need, Mr. Hart said. [full text]