Playstreet?!

Virág Bogyó is a Budapest-based artist, cultural worker, and researcher with a BA in graphic design and an MA in media design from Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. She recently completed her doctoral studies at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, focusing on the cultural history of playgrounds, particularly post-World War II, contemporary reflections, experimental pedagogy, and feminist approaches. Known for her participatory, research-based approach, Virág values interdisciplinary collaboration and has been involved in various art groups, often exploring public space themes. Flóra Madácsi is a landscape architect specialized in urban design with a BSc in Landscape Architecture from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is currently completing her Master's degree in Urban Planning and Sustainability at Aalborg University. Flóra gained experience in participatory public space design and strategy while working in the municipal and civic sectors in Budapest. Her interests include urban regeneration, place-led development, and just green transition, emphasizing low-tech, cooperative, community-led solutions, and grassroots practices. Flóra and Virág have been collaborating for two years, investigating children's relationship with contemporary urban environments and the possibilities of play. They focus on desegregation, promoting community initiatives, and ecological thinking.

It is generally assumed that the playground is the primary place for children to play – where they can enjoy freedom in a designated way on regulated and safe equipment – but until recent decades this was not so obvious. Beginning in the 1930s, many cities around the world introduced playstreets – streets that were either permanently or temporarily closed to car traffic to create safe play areas for children. Budapest also had playstreets in the 1950s, but they disappeared in the 1960s due to increasing car traffic. Although, as in other large cities, the Hungarian capital has in recent years seen a conscious, human-centred urban development trend that takes into account other aspects besides - or instead of - transportation, play is still rarely seen as a design principle. Playstreet?! was a public play action, open discussion forum, and mini exhibition organized by Virág Bogyó and Flóra Madácsi as part of Sidewalk – 1st Budapest Biennale of Contemporary Public Art in 2023. The main objective of the project was to promote a dialogue about the use of public space and children's play activities, to challenge conventional ideas, and to explore the potentials of free and risky play in the urban environment. It sought to investigate the relevance of playstreets in contemporary Budapest and explore how public spaces, parenting styles, and leisure activities have evolved since the first playstreets appeared 70 years ago. Playstreet?! took place in Barát Street, one of the former playstreets in Budapest, and in the pedestrian zone of Bauer Sándor Street. In collaboration with architect Alíz Bárczy and Építész Szakkolégium (EASA Hungary), Bogyó and Madácsi designed multifunctional wooden elements for these (temporary) car-free zones. These elements encouraged play for both children and adults without having a fixed purpose, thereby stimulating imagination. Before being installed, these structures were displayed at Kesztyűgyár Community Centre’s Gallery, where they served as pedestals and benches for a mini-exhibition on the history and potential of playstreets and children's urban play. During the street actions, the exhibition elements were transformed into play equipment. The highlight of the Barát Street site was a large sand hill in the middle of the street, inviting children and adults alike to play. Throughout the project, the creators were available for discussions with the public, fostering professional dialogue and community engagement.