Remembering the little things

Geoff Sanderson Senior Associate Landscape Architecture, Building and Places, AECOM Dubai

Life often throws us challenges – no one expected a global pandemic in 2020 - but sometimes it is in these moments that we find rewards.

Simple kids play

More things to look at

As the world is in lockdown due to Covid-19, we can choose to find joy and opportunity in times of struggle, or we can fall into the pattern of complaining. Those with children at home may take note of their whims and fancies, the noise, the mess, the arguments and fights but the inventive amongst us can also find ways to foster independent play or take part in frivolous, creative moments.

In my case, I cherish fond memories from my childhood and what it was to find small pleasures, tiny rewards and laughter. I can recall smells, sounds and tastes from my home, the garden, my grandparents’ farm, my grandma’s kitchen. I remember the animals, long walks, extraordinary school grounds, daring adventures and special outings.

How well do our memories serve us when there are places for us to design for others?

Places can potentially offer much to distract but they can be - and usually are - boring adult places that are neat and tidy and clean. As adults we can be unforgiving and selfish, often depriving children of

Kids play

places where they can laugh, be creative, get muddy and even break things.

I have spent my spare time this week sketching cartoon animals and emailing them to my grandchildren and inviting them to add colour and ideas. The results are strikingly creative.

One four-year-old has been watching a red squirrel searching for food including vegetable seeds just placed by his father, who was hoping to one day eat the produce. Instead of sharing his father’s fury, the child decided to make a special safe spot for the squirrel, hiding nuts under some soil and putting the pot where the creature would continue his search. If we consider the enterprise and the props, the squirrel needed to live somewhere inviting and the four-year-old needed to have the resources to attend to him.

A silly sheep

such a comfortable place to sit and be molested by kids

Colourful birds Street things

How easy is it to design and build places that offer no resources for kids, no opportunity to make a squirrel feel welcome, nowhere to stimulate play, only a place for adult gratification?

Pristine places have nothing to smell, nothing eccentric, nothing natural to climb, nothing to intrigue, nothing to remember with fondness. Given the chance we now have to observe, to remember, to laugh about and recall with good feelings, lets take careful note of just who it is we design for - children, squirrels and grandma’s. Then contemplate the stereotypical residential development and its swept, trimmed and raked sameness, the event free streets, the master planned immaculate, sanitized parks and wonder where we went wrong and why we ‘grew up’’.

Have to stop and look Nice smells

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