Primary School Outdoor Spaces Analysis and Evaluation Case Study—City of Osijek (Croatia)

This paper investigates spatial characteristics and functional capacities of primary schools’ outdoor spaces in the City of Osijek (Croatia), with the purpose of identifying potential for their qualitative improvement. The study investigates fifteen primary schools in Osijek, analysed through a comparative framework that includes criteria such as school plot area, plot disposition, design, programmatic content (facilities), and relationships with the surrounding urban context. Rather than measuring educational outcomes, the analysis evaluates the spatial conditions and affordances that may enable or constrain a broader range of outdoor educational, recreational, and social activities. The results indicate that, although spatial capacity is generally sufficient, outdoor school areas are significantly underdeveloped. Across the sample, outdoor environments are generally characterised by limited spatial and programmatic diversity, weak direct connections between ground-floor classrooms and outdoor areas, and a predominance of sports grounds, open grassy areas, and school squares over dedicated outdoor-learning settings. In conclusion, we propose strategic design guidelines aimed at enhancing the multifunctionality, accessibility, and pedagogical value of school outdoor spaces, as well as their integration into everyday educational practice and the broader community context. While the study proposes evidence-based design priorities for retrofitting existing school grounds, it explicitly distinguishes observed spatial conditions from actual patterns of use or educational effects.