Pittsburgh coalition works to emphasize importance of playgrounds

With the weather warming and summer vacation nearing, children are scampering to playgrounds to find friends and burn off energy — that is, if they have unscheduled time and a play space in the neighborhood.

Those are just two of the interests of the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, a group of local organizations and individuals that have united to focus on play. Its issues include the intrinsic benefits of play and the effect on playground design of what some consider to be exaggerated concerns with risk. Although it is based in Pittsburgh, the collaborative hopes that interest in rethinking play and playgrounds will extend to organizations beyond the city and Allegheny County.