Planning and Designing Public Playspaces With Children: Municipality Experiences of Implementing Children's Participation Processes

ABSTRACT

Children have the right to share their views in community playspace planning, yet adults often struggle to implement participatory processes. This qualitative study explores the experiences of Irish municipal staff, given that Ireland has a national policy on children's participation. Data analysis identified five themes: Valuing children as citizens, planning the participation processes, building collaboration with community adults, strategies for gathering children and adults' views, and balancing needs of children, adults and municipality. Key to success was building rapport and transparent, authentic communication with community members, municipal staff, and children to achieve a shared focus on the views of children.