Journeys to play: planning considerations to engender inclusive playspaces

Making playspaces inclusive has predominately focused on internal design, addressing factors that constrain play experiences within these spaces for children with diverse impairments and their families. Less attention, however, has been paid to the journey to the site and how that may influence the decision to visit these environments. This paper contributes to this area by discussing the experiences of 10 children with diverse mobility impairments, aged 9–12-years-old, and their families from south-east Queensland, Australia. This person–environment study of their journeys to playgrounds illuminates the role getting to the site and entering the site plays in shaping decisions to actually visit playspaces. The findings also identify key considerations applicable to open space planning and site planning, towards achieving inclusive landscapes for play.