To play is to engage in sport or recreation, or to act freely. In Edmonton, designers, builders, developers, and city planners are working hard to ensure that the word lives up to its expectations.

When considering urban landscapes, where do parks and open spaces fit into the list of necessities? According to Shelley Robinson, Certified Playground-Design Inclusion Educator at Park N Play, it should be at the top.

“Being able to play should be a top priority, regardless of age or ability,” she said. “It’s a carefree way to enhance one’s mental and physical health, and it’s not just for kids. It’s way more multigenerational now.”

While Robinson isn’t a developer or city planner, she describes herself as a play-ologist. “It’s the truest definition of who I am and what I do – whether it’s planning new communities, revitalizing historic parks, or designing open areas where play, art, and culture meet.”

Through her work on managing sales teams across the nation to working with builders and developers in Edmonton, Robinson has been building playgrounds in Northern Alberta for 20 years, advocating for safe and fun neighbourhoods.