21st Europe and Spacon Propose 'Continent of Play' as Civic Infrastructure Across Europe

"21st Europe, a Copenhagen-based think tank founded by former SPACE10 creative director Kaave Pour, has introduced its second major blueprint, Continent of Play. Developed in collaboration with design and architecture studio Spacon, the proposal reimagines playgrounds as vital civic infrastructure, positioning them alongside museums, transport hubs, and energy grids as defining spaces for Europe's future. The blueprint follows 21st Europe's inaugural project Starline, a design-led vision for a pan-European high-speed rail system."

"The report highlights that over 80 million children live in Europe, yet in many cities less than 10% of public space is designed for them. Access to well-designed play environments has been shown to improve health, learning, and resilience, while the absence of such spaces is linked to obesity, stress, and inequality."

"Spacon's design centers on a modular system of play equipment designed to accommodate multiple forms of activity, including physical, social, imaginative, and reflective. This aims to ensure relevance across age groups. The components, made from locally sourced materials such as timber, recycled metals, and natural composites, are conceived as flat-pack structures that can be deployed across urban, suburban, and rural settings. Adaptable and durable, they prioritize embedding each site within its regional context while reducing carbon impact. Additionally, the play structures are conceived as references to European landmarks, creating a shared vis"

21st Europe, a Copenhagen-based think tank founded by Kaave Pour, launched Continent of Play in collaboration with design studio Spacon to reframe playgrounds as civic infrastructure comparable to museums and transport hubs. The proposal builds on a prior Starline high-speed rail vision and advocates a continent-wide playground network to serve over 80 million children in Europe, where many cities devote under 10% of public space to children. Well-designed play spaces support health, learning, and resilience, while their absence correlates with obesity, stress, and inequality. Spacon proposes modular, flat-pack play components using timber, recycled metals, and natural composites that adapt to regional contexts, reduce carbon impact, and reference European landmarks.

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