No matter what the type of housing development, or where it’s located, a playground is going to be an essential feature. This can be vital for attracting families into the area and also ensuring that people stay and enjoy the housing development. Creating a new playground – or revamping an existing space to make it more appealing – has a lot to add to any housing development. These are the main reasons why every new housing development should include a playground.
- Bring families into the development. Families look for amenities that are going to be useful to support children – and a playground is the ideal example of this. Why would any new housing development want to bring more families in? Because they tend to stay put for longer than other residents, which means that they represent long-term stability. More families attract more families – and it can even be the play facilities that bring people to a development in the first place.
- Playgrounds provide a focal point for a sense of community. It’s possible for hundreds of people to live on top of one another in a housing development and yet rarely ever have any interaction. This can create lonely experiences where people often feel isolated. One of the major advantages of a playground is that it’s where a sense of community can be built up. People who live close to one another can get to know each other and start sharing each other’s lives and looking out for one another.
- Boosting property values. One study carried out in America found that parks, playgrounds and outdoor recreation spaces directly contribute to an increase in property values. Which is why housing developments looking to charge a premium necessarily need to integrate playgrounds into the design. It’s also worth mentioning that any property in the vicinity of a newly built playground, park or outdoor area tends to receive a price bump.
- Housing developers stand to make more money. Housing developments clearly have more value where there is a playground and this is a big advantage for those selling properties. To put this in numeric terms, most homeowners are willing to pay at least 10% more in order to live close to a playground, park or outdoor area. Most playgrounds in housing developments are surrounded by at least 50 homes, which could mean a very significant rise in profits from that extra 10%.
- Communities and wellness. There is a wealth of information out there today to support the idea that both adults and children who regularly do physical activity tend to be healthier overall. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day can reduce the risks of obesity and being overweight. And there are clear positives when it comes to mental health too, including that playgrounds are places for social connection, as well as enjoying the benefits of playing outdoors.
Whether it’s to increase property prices, build a sense of community in the area – or to boost local health and wellness – every new housing development should include a playground today.