Tips for consulting Before designing or upgrading any place space, it is a good idea to collect information from the local community about the patterns of use of existing places, as well as specific needs and interests. It is preferable to use open questions such as: How do you or your family use the park at present? What kinds of activities would you and your family enjoy? Are there any particular themes that you think would suit the character of the park? Do you or your family members have any particular access requirements that would affect the design? Questionnaires are useful when seeking feedback on a concept plan. In addition, people can be asked if they would like to receive more information about a project or be invited to a public meeting. When running a public session to include people with a disability, material needs to be both visual and audible, and an Auslan (Australian sign language) interpreter may be required for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, it is a good idea to leave plenty of time for proceedings, to cater for people with complex communication needs. Management of play spaces After a play space is constructed, it needs to be marketed, monitored and maintained to ensure it continues to meet the needs of users. It is also a good idea to put aside a budget for minor improvements. Monitoring Maintaining open dialogue with key stakeholders and play space users is important after any play space is completed. Monitoring a play space involves observing how the space is used, and talking to users about what they like and like. This can help identify any items that don’t may need to be modified, or the kinds of activities that are missing and could be added in the future.
Tips for consulting Before designing or upgrading any place space, it is a good idea to collect information from the local community about the patterns of use of existing places, as well as specific needs and interests. It is preferable to use open questions such as: How do you or your family use the park at present? What kinds of activities would you and your family enjoy? Are there any particular themes that you think would suit the character of the park? Do you or your family members have any particular access requirements that would affect the design? Questionnaires are useful when seeking feedback on a concept plan. In addition, people can be asked if they would like to receive more information about a project or be invited to a public meeting. When running a public session to include people with a disability, material needs to be both visual and audible, and an Auslan (Australian sign language) interpreter may be required for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, it is a good idea to leave plenty of time for proceedings, to cater for people with complex communication needs. Management of play spaces After a play space is constructed, it needs to be marketed, monitored and maintained to ensure it continues to meet the needs of users. It is also a good idea to put aside a budget for minor improvements. Monitoring Maintaining open dialogue with key stakeholders and play space users is important after any play space is completed. Monitoring a play space involves observing how the space is used, and talking to users about what they like and don’t like. This can help identify any items that may need to be modified, or the kinds of activities that are missing and could be added in the future.
Good-Play-Space-guide.docx