Playscapes is a grassroots urban intervention developed in 2017 by Jordanian architects and mothers, to address the shortage of safe, inclusive play spaces for children in Amman. Experiencing first-hand the difficulty of finding places for children to play in a rapidly growing city with limited public space, they designed a simple, low-cost, modular system that transforms left-over plots of land into makeshift playgrounds and gathering areas.
Made of stackable wooden modules that require no specialist tools, the system can be reconfigured as climbing structures, seating or sandboxes. Designed to fit into a pickup truck, Playscapes is portable, adaptable, and affordable; a flexible tool to activate leftover land. It first showcased at Amman Design Week, and later reached Al Azraq refugee camp and city, creating spaces for play and community interaction.
These experiments revealed the potential and challenges of such interventions, including liability, sustainability, and coordination with local authorities. Playscapes remains a small, replicable model, showcasing tactical interventions that strengthen communities and reimagine public spaces.
