Local streets to be opened up to allow children to play and communities to come together

Neighbours socialising and children playing on the streets where they live is at the heart of a new pilot initiative launched by Fingal County Council today, with car access being restricted on residential roads for short periods of time to help people come together in a social environment more often.

In today's world of technology and screen time, it can be difficult for people, particularly children, to get the exercise they need to stay healthy and happy. Astonishingly, in 2016 the Early Childhood Convention heard that two-thirds of Irish children spend more time indoors than prisoners in maximum security prisons. That is part of the reasoning behind the Playful Streets pilot, which is being run by the Council in conjunction with A Playful City.

The neighbourhood-led street gatherings would see the creation of a safe, cheap and easily accessible option closer to home for playtime and local resident engagement. When traffic is restricted to local stewarded access, streets become a safe and secure space for children to run, play, and explore. This not only encourages physical activity, but also fosters socialisation and community building among children, their families and other neighbours on a street.

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony said: "By encouraging children to play outside on the streets where they live, we're helping to create a more supportive space where parents can relax with their neighbours and watch their children without the worry of cars speeding by.

“The Playful Street concept will also help open up new connections for residents, with people able to engage with each other within easy reach of their own comfort zone. It may also sometimes allow for people to meet others for the very first time. Neighbours who see each other regularly and watch out for one another are more likely to come together in times of need, while it can also unite them to come up with solutions to common problems.”

Fingal believes that streamlining the process of being able to easily facilitate safer street play will prove to of interest in many areas across the County, particularly if it provides a sense of safety and security for parents who may often be hesitant to let their children play outside in a traditional setting. The benefit of this will also extend to neighbours who can pop out to chat with others on the street, bringing their own cup of tea and a biscuit to catch up on the local gossip instead of staying inside their homes.

Robert Burns, Director of Communities at Fingal County Council said: “Old-fashioned street play is being lost to cars and screen time, which means it is no longer common to see children out playing the way it used to be. That is why we really want to encourage these mini-community gatherings. It will allow local streets to be taken back in control by the people that live on them, so that they can get out of their homes to interact with their neighbours in a more meaningful manner.

“We believe that introducing this concept across Fingal can help bring people together in a relaxed and safe environment, can create a sense of unity, foster greater community spirit and importantly help reduce social isolation.”

Residents of all ages should feel welcome and encouraged to be out on the street. This will be an opportunity for many older residents to share their memories about their own childhood play experiences and a chance to teach kids some of the games they played growing up.

All the Playful Street events require very little to organise and children would normally bring their own toys to play with and be creative in a bigger space they would be used to, be it drawing a giant hopscotch, throwing a frisbee or having a hula-hoop competition.

Director of a Playful City, Neasa Ni Bhriain, said: “We know that by temporarily restricting through traffic and designating streets for stewarded access only can help to massively transform it into a place where neighbours of all ages are free to socialise and play. There’s something reassuring about neighbourhoods being able to simply come together, to catch-up and chat, to sit and watch kids playing unencumbered by the risk of a car whizzing too close, and to interact. A Playful Street is about reconnecting communities so that everyone, young or old, can benefit physically, mentally and emotionally.”

Fingal and A Playful City will be running the programme in key locations over the summer, including an Open Day event in Balbriggan on Saturday 27th of May to kick start the pilot. They are now looking for other areas across Fingal to register their interest in hosting A Playful Street event. Those who host one of the events will get support and resources including the expertise of the Playful City team, starter packs and the restricting of access to vehicles to a street on pilot days so that they can be opened for the neighbourhood gathering.

For more information on the initiative, details of the Open Day or to register your interest in joining the pilot programme, visit the Council’s website: https://www.fingal.ie/playful-streets.