New department needed for city's playgrounds: DAB
The DAB on Monday urged the government to set up a new department to coordinate on outdoor playgrounds for kids. Among the 710 residents it interviewed in July, the party found that more than 77 percent agreed that the existing facilities needed renovation, to make them more challenging and fun to play in. Kwun Tong district councillor April Feng, who's also a party member, said the new department could include professional designers who have a more sophisticated understanding of children's needs. "When they do the designing, they can include all their needs from the very beginning...if you do bulk purchase, like if I have 20 playgrounds that I need to do improvement, and when I do the bulk purchase, the government might have better bargaining power," she said. Feng pointed out that it was crucial to have an enjoyable playground, especially when kids nowadays are on their e-devices. "If the playground is fun, fun enough to attract them to spend time in the playground to do physical exercise and also to interact with other kids, of course it's good for parents," Feng said. "But we also think that the playground is an important infrastructure and facility for not just the kids, but for the whole community, because then people can get out and get together and spend time in the community, improve their sense of belonging, and also feelings of happiness." She also revealed that children expect more from a playground. "They don't only want to play with other kids, they also want to play with their parents. They also suggested a lot of equipment and facilities that they can play together with their parents, they want to include their parents in their play time also," said Feng.  She added that inclusive playgrounds could also help children with disabilities and special needs.