'Engage private sector to make playgrounds more fun'
The government has been advised to engage the private sector in designing and managing its public playgrounds, amid criticism that their facilities are too dull and characterless.  This is part of a spate of suggestions proposed by the DAB on Wednesday to make the city more “fun”.  The party said despite the government having spent HK$700 million to upgrade around 170 playgrounds since 2019, the renovated parks tend to be boring with generic and unchallenging facilities.  “Even an eight year-old isn’t interested in playing in those playgrounds,” the party’s lawmaker, Nixie Lam, said.  She added that many better-off parents would rather spend hundreds of dollars to take their children to privately-run play areas which are better managed and designed.  One mother, surnamed Tsang, agrees that most public playgrounds are unimpressive.  Despite living in Wan Chai, she told RTHK that she would take her children all the way to a playground in Tsim Sha Tsui for the better playing facilities.  "I think [playgrounds] used to be more interesting [when I was a child]. It seems [there are] so many facilities now, but they cannot really [stimulate] children’s muscle, or their intelligence or interest,” she said.  Lam said the government’s “strict and tough” guidelines on safety and risk management are stifling creativity, and called on officials to consider getting the private sector involved.  "It is really important for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to look into whether they can cooperate with 'outside' local designers so that they know what the global trends are, and how they can inject some creative ideas or some facilities … into the government playgrounds,” she said. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said in a statement that it will introduce "different levels of challenges, interest and themes" when designing public playgrounds in future.  It also said some of the facilities that have been upgraded since 2019 were well received by the public. Lam, meanwhile, said many other government facilities – such as public libraries and sports centres – are too old and overused, and are in need of a facelift as well._____________________________
Last updated: 2023-08-09 HKT 19:43 