Why couldn't a children's playground also be conceptualized simultaneously as a "small urban space", such that it is attractive to others besides children and their guardians" In not doing so, are we not also wasting an opportunity" This is particularly the case in urban areas of greater density, often deprived of quality, that is, of a legible urban organization that makes them truly recognizable "places" and reference points with identity, for the larger society that inhabits them. Why could one not envision a space that, aside from being for children, parents, and guardians, may also be thought of and designed as, and most importantly, lived as a place of gathering and rest, for others of the neighborhood" Consider a place for a senior citizen to pause along their way, who, aside from being pleased at the sight of children at play, would be able to "break up" a journey that might otherwise prove to be too long or tiresome. A space to gather and meet, a "place" at which to observe appointments, a space in which to rest, read a book, and escape temporarily from an urban ambience that is often not only nondescript, but disagreeable and "disorienting". Giampiero Spinelli

Carolina Simon