(video) Children’s Outdoor Play Opportunities in Chinese cities
Helen Woolley hosted an inspiring 15 minute talk in which she explored Children’s Outdoor Play Opportunities in Chinese cities during the “Young People and the ‘New Urban Agenda’: addressing key themes of Habitat lll” conference in Birmingham on 14-15 September 2016. Helen draws on her experiences in China and offers a window into the differences of play opportunities provided to children between China and other parts of the world.
(video) Facilitating Children’s Outdoor Play in Post-Disaster contexts
Helen Woolley hosted an inspiring 15 minute talk on Facilitating Children’s Outdoor Play in Post-disaster contexts during the “Young People and the ‘New Urban Agenda’: addressing key themes of Habitat lll” conference in Birmingham on 14-15 September 2016. Helen takes the audience through the effects of the triple disaster in Japan and illustrates the vital importance of play for children in these post-disaster situations.
Reviving Green Spaces Between Houses
Helen Woolley
A high percentage of urban green spaces in our UK cities is that within which social housing is set. Although the original intention was that these green space should be everybody’s in reality many of them have become nobody’s. Read more…
Greening the Grey – Vegetating front gardens for improved well-being
Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui
Today, one in three front gardens in the UK have no plants growing in them. This is three times less than 10 years ago. “So what?” you may think. Read more…
Documenting the Landscape of Natural Burial through Time
“Without these regular visits and my familiarity with this landscape I might not have noticed the grave which each year, on the date of birth and death, is clothed in a carpet of rose petals”
Why Planting Plans Don’t Always Work
Much debate around sustainable planting focuses, across the world, on the issue of the native v the exotic, but in actual fact this is often a red herring. Far more fundamental is the question of ‘how do we design for the change that must occur in all planting?’
Change in vegetation is driven by two factors. Read more…
Why UK Playgrounds Don’t Provide Enough Play Opportunities
Play provides many opportunities for children. It can contribute to the development of gross and fine motor skills, give opportunities for psychical activity contributing to a healthy life style and support the development Read more…
Why we need to change our perceptions of wildness
I believe that, at some level, we all need wildness. Of course the nature of this need varies according to who we are. Thrill seekers will want to abseil off cliffs deep in the mountains, the more contemplative Read more…