A new study published in Land sheds important light on how children’s playgrounds are distributed across England, and what this means for children’s access to play opportunities.

The University of Sheffield research set out to map the geographic provision of children’s playgrounds, using open data and spatial analysis to explore patterns of inequality across settlements in England. Playgrounds remain a core formal space for outdoor play – especially for children who do not have access to a private garden or informal outdoor space.

At a national level, the study identified significant inequalities in how playgrounds are provided. Some towns and cities in England had as many as five times more children per playground than others, despite similar population sizes. Where playgrounds were fewer, they tended to be smaller and farther away from where children live. Crucially, settlements with higher levels of deprivation generally had poorer playground provision – a pattern that mirrors broader social inequalities in access to play and public spaces.

However, London emerged as a notable exception. Unlike many other large urban areas, deprived neighbourhoods in London were found to have more playgrounds that were closer to homes than in less deprived areas. This suggests that in the capital, playground provision has so far resisted the typical pattern of unequal access based on economic advantage.

The research also highlights how difficult it remains to produce consistent global comparisons of playground provision due to limitations in international data, but offers a useful framework for analysing and comparing play space provision locally and nationally.

For London, these findings underline important truths about play equity: while the city currently performs better in distributing playgrounds across different communities, significant inequalities in play access persist. Proximity alone doesn’t guarantee quality, safety or inclusivity. Many children in the capital face significant barriers to enjoying outdoor play for reasons that include fear of crime or antisocial behaviour, dangerous traffic or poor quality and neglected play areas.

As London continues to grow and change, this study reinforces the need for strategic planning and policy that centre children’s right to play, ensuring city-wide access to playful, safe and empowering spaces for all children.