3 ms·

Growing up, my elementary school had an amazing wooden structure that had been built in years past. After I left, it was torn down and replaced by a prefab thin

Growing up, my elementary school had an amazing wooden structure that had been built in years past. After I left, it was torn down and replaced by a prefab thing with much less character and probably less fun. The reason given was liability insurance was more possible with the later generic playground.

gyuserbti 7y ago
This has been on my mind a lot lately. It's not just risk changes, it's also variety changes which are also important. Near us there's nice, challenging playgrounds, but their designs have become homogeneous. The older playgrounds had more unique features to each, with custom molded fiberglass. I don't mind some playgrounds drifting to other materials, but the wood ones also have something to offer. I worry they're slowly being replaced by the same sorts of hdpe and brightly painted metal structures that are everywhere else. They're nice but all start to seem the same after awhile. It's sort of like if houses all got torn down after 30 years and were all replaced with variants of the same template, rather than preserving older structures or encouraging innovative architecture. Kids have as much to learn from variety as they do risk.
underwater 7y ago
It was probably treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate, which is a carcinogen.
AJ007 7y ago
This is the only comment I’ve seen insurance mentioned, which is the main determining factor of what is or isn’t in a playground now. I’m sure the insurance companies have actual data and actuarial tables for what results in lawsuit damages. If a city wants to have those items in a playground, fine, but it isn’t going to be insurable. As a kid I always was much more interested in running around in the woods or climbing trees than playgrounds. Which, insurance still can’t force the removal of as far as I know.

3 ms·

Growing up, my elementary school had an amazing wooden structure that had been built in years past. After I left, it was torn down and replaced by a prefab thin

by ec109685 7y ago

gyuserbti 7y ago
This has been on my mind a lot lately. It's not just risk changes, it's also variety changes which are also important. Near us there's nice, challenging playgrounds, but their designs have become homogeneous. The older playgrounds had more unique features to each, with custom molded fiberglass. I don't mind some playgrounds drifting to other materials, but the wood ones also have something to offer. I worry they're slowly being replaced by the same sorts of hdpe and brightly painted metal structures that are everywhere else. They're nice but all start to seem the same after awhile. It's sort of like if houses all got torn down after 30 years and were all replaced with variants of the same template, rather than preserving older structures or encouraging innovative architecture. Kids have as much to learn from variety as they do risk.
underwater 7y ago
It was probably treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate, which is a carcinogen.
AJ007 7y ago
This is the only comment I’ve seen insurance mentioned, which is the main determining factor of what is or isn’t in a playground now. I’m sure the insurance companies have actual data and actuarial tables for what results in lawsuit damages. If a city wants to have those items in a playground, fine, but it isn’t going to be insurable. As a kid I always was much more interested in running around in the woods or climbing trees than playgrounds. Which, insurance still can’t force the removal of as far as I know.