Lab Tools & Resources
Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO)
The TOPO outlines both a new Outdoor Play Typology as well as a flexible, observational behavior mapping framework which can capture children's outdoor play behaviors as well as a range of social and environmental interactions
Janet Loebach & Adina Cox
The TOPO can be widely applied to understand the types and diversity of play that is taking place in any existing outdoor play space (public playspaces, schoolyards, child care centers, museums, etc), and can help to identify types of play that are being well-supported as well as gaps in the play affordances. The TOPO typology can also be used as a useful framework in the design and planning of playspaces to ensure that new settings offer an appropriate and diverse range of play opportunities for children of all ages and abilities.
Applications/Utility:
Co-Design Playbook
This manual provides a framework for carrying out co-design projects with children and youth, particularly for the design of playspaces. The framework provides a detailed outline of co-design components and associated activities suitable for a range of co-design project lengths (3-, 5- and 10-session programs)
Janet Loebach, Karen Joyce, Lyss Eng, Jeremy Faulk, Ashley Herrera & Aleena Li
The Co-Design Playbook is designed to be used by anyone interested in directly engaging children & youth in planning for the (re)design of environments, particularly for play and learning environments. This guide can be used by researchers, designers/planners, teachers, play providers, or community leaders to provide a structured but flexible co-design program where young people are partners in environmental research and design. The guide has been developed particularly for play and learnings spaces but could be adapted to a range of other settings. Detailed plans, outlines and templates for co-design activities are also provided. Co-design process should include mechanisms for synthesizing and integrating children's design preferences, ideas and priorities. The Design Brief example provided outlines how the co-design process can be translated into actionable guidelines for designers. The PrEP Framework (Joyce & Loebach) also provides detailed strategies for analyzing and translating children's Priority Experiences.
Applications/Utility:
Priority Experiences of Participants (PrEP) Framework for analyzing co-design participants' priorities
This paper outlines an analysis framework for synthesizing multi-modal contributions from co-design processes into actionable design guidance. This framework is illustrated through a case study of a co-design program with children to reimagine their schoolyard
Karen Joyce & Janet Loebach
This framework provides a structured approach and accessible tools for researchers, designers, schools, parks & playspace providers and other facilitators to effectively include children in design visioning and decision-making. The framework provides clear steps for synthesizing both quantitative and qualitative outputs from co-design activities into 'umbrella experiences' - that is, high-level experiences that users most want to have in a new or redesigned space. These ranked umbrella experiences can then be used to outline flexible recommendations and exemplars for designers, to help translate participants' priorities into actional design strategies.
Applications/Utility:
Early Childhood Playspace Design Toolkit
The KABOOM! Early Childhood Playspace Design Toolkit is a new resource that empowers early learning providers, city leaders, and planners with tools to create developmentally-appropriate outdoor environments that help children ages 0 to 5 grow and thrive.
Kaboom Advisory Council (J. Loebach)
This toolkit provides key insights, principles and strategies to inspire and support early learning practitioners and community members to transform their outdoor environments. The toolkit offers scalable, evidence-informed recommendations aimed to influence national best practices and support those (re)designing outdoor playspace projects for young children.
Applications/Utility:
Routledge Handbook of Designing Public Spaces for Young People: Processes, Practices & Policies for Youth Inclusion
This Handbook is a thorough and practical resource for all who wish to influence policy and design decisions in order to increase young people’s access to and use of public spaces, as well as their role in design and decision-making processes.
Janet Loebach, Sarah Little, Adina Cox & Patsy Eubanks Owens
The ability of youth to freely enjoy public spaces, and to develop a sense of belonging and attachment to these environments, is critical for their physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. Young people represent a vital citizen group with legitimate rights to occupy and shape their public environments, yet they are often driven out of public places by adult users, restrictive bylaws, or hostile designs. It is also important that children and youth have the opportunity to genuinely participate in the planning of public spaces, and to have their needs considered in the design of the public realm.
This book provides both evidence and tools to help effectively advocate for more youth-inclusive public environments, as well as integrate youth directly into both research and design processes related to the public realm. It is essential reading for researchers, design and planning professionals, community leaders, and youth advocates. Available in hardback, paperback & e-book. A free copy of Takeaways from the book can be downloaded below.
Applications/Utility: