Urban Play was a city-wide project I created in Amsterdam based on a single notion:

Instead of creating urban design to prevent alteration by the public, what if we designed things to encourage it?

Some of the most innovative designers and architects from around the world created 12 newly designed interventions, tools, toys and objects along a route on the central IJ-riverfront in Amsterdam. Reversing the traditional approach to urban design, in which objects and areas are created explicitly to discourage public interaction and intervention, this collection of objects were created to encourage interaction and physical engagement by the public. To use a software analogy, the designs were installed in the city in version 1.0 – it was up to the people in the city to move them to version 2.0

I have often asked myself: we hear so much about the “creative city”, but when to we actually get to see it in action? Urban Play was the public’s response to that question.

To view the photos on flickr, go here.

Urban Play Credits
Concept and Creation by Scott Burnham / Collaborators – Droog Design and Experimenta / Participants – Designo Patagonia [AR], Gunjan Gupta [IN), Jan Konings [NL], Ji Lee [KR], Kwangho Lee [KR], Martí Guixé [ES], Martin Ruiz Azua [ES], NL Architects [NL], Nothing Design Group [KR], Office for Subversive Architecture [GB, DE, AT], Rebar [US], Stefan Sagmeister Inc. [US]