London Play

Working for a capital where all children can play

Can I Play Out...?

Can I play out...?
Lessons from London Play's Home Zones project

Report by Tim Gill.

The starting point for Tim Gill's report is an evaluation of the work of London Play's Home Zones for London project. London Play is committed to working to make the public realm more child- and play-friendly and recognised the importance and potential of residential streets in children's lives, and saw the emergence of home zones as a key development.

London Play decided that the evaluation of the Home Zones project should look beyond the experiences and lessons of the pilot boroughs it supported. Hence the report is more far-reaching, seeking to encompass both home zones and other approaches to creating more child-friendly streets - in London and also elsewhere in England. It aims to answer some emerging questions about children and young people:

what difference have completed home zones schemes made to their lives?
what do schemes reveal about the views of residents, communities and others on the very idea that streets should be places where children can spend time, meet with their friends and play?
what resistance is there to making that idea a reality?
how have those taking schemes forward engaged children?
what are the longer-term prospects for streets to be places where children's wishes are given as much weight as those of car owners and drivers?

Download the Can I play out...? report below.

For more information on Tim Gill's work: link