Prioritizing Play: Key Recommendations for Municipal Planning
This article outlines recommendations from “Ruimte voor de Jeugd” (Space for Youth) regarding the integration of play adn exercise spaces into urban growth. Expert Monique van Hoore, with eighteen years of experience at the municipality of Leiden, emphasizes a proactive and collaborative approach to ensure children have access to enriching outdoor environments.
A core recommendation is establishing clear guidelines – both qualitative and quantitative – before beginning planning. Van Hoore points to the “three percent guideline” originally proposed by Jantje Beton as a starting point for dedicated play space. However,she highlights that municipalities are increasingly adopting more ambitious standards. Leiden, for example, implemented a ten percent standard, encompassing not only the amount of play and exercise areas, but also a defined level of quality.This concrete target provides a tangible basis for discussion and implementation.
Beyond simply allocating space, the manifesto stresses the importance of connecting social and physical planning domains within municipalities.Van hoore notes a disconnect between colleagues working in these areas,despite both ultimately focusing on the needs of residents. Accomplished urban design, she argues, must center on understanding how people live, work, and find happiness within their communities.
The recommendations also emphasize that reserved space must be actively utilized and supported. While space is a necessary foundation, it’s not sufficient. Van Hoore advocates for designs that offer challenge and encourage exploration, acknowledging children’s desire for risk and discovery within safe boundaries. This translates to a call for municipalities to support play and exercise activities directly.
crucially, the manifesto champions direct involvement of children in the design process. This goes beyond conventional consultation methods like reviewing pre-made designs. Van Hoore stresses the need to genuinely collaborate with children, valuing their input and recognizing them as the primary users of these spaces.
The article notes that municipalities are experimenting with various models to protect play and exercise space, citing examples like Amsterdam’s ‘Twelve logical principles for a healthy city’, Leiden’s ’10 Leiden exercise keys’, and utrecht’s ‘barcode for healthy urban living’. The key, however, is for each municipality to develop a solution tailored to its specific needs, avoiding a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
the manifesto highlights the cost-effectiveness of investing in outdoor play. With municipalities facing potential budget cuts in 2026, Van Hoore points to research from the Sports and Exercise Knowledge Center demonstrating a 2.76 return on investment for sports and exercise initiatives. Prioritizing outdoor play, she concludes, can have a preventative effect on health issues, ultimately leading to critically important cost savings.
The full “Space for Youth” manifesto is available for download at https://ruimtevoordejeugd.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Manifest-Ruimte-voor-de-jeugd-okt-2025.pdf.
