Deltaplan

Deltaplan playgrounds

Introduction

Deltaplan playgrounds in the Netherlands are playgrounds of a new generation. They unite all the quality requirements that were developed over the past ten years and when the Deltaplan period ends the playgrounds can function independently and continuously. To achieve this, the renovation route should meet some criteria.
There are three various phases in the deltaplan process:

1. Orientation phase

Assistance of the local council.
Finishing the renovation project successfully is strongly determined by the position of the local council. Cooperation in several areas is indispensable. They need to give out their permission but especially their financial support is important. As well as the investment and the exploitation the local council will have to contribute in giving the plans a realistic base.

Cooperation with the neighbourhood, organizations and other parties concerned.
When renewing the playground there are also possibilities to renew the cooperation with other  local organizations. Good examples are schools, day care centres, social work organizations, disability organizations and businesses.

 

2. Designing phase

Professional design.
The renovation plans should be formulated by a professional playground designer. The requirements that a playground should meet have become so extensive and complicated over the years that it is no longer doable for a volunteer to make their own design.

Child involvement.
The plans for renovation should be based on the opinions of the children that are going to play on the playgrounds. To use children’s drawings of what the playground should look like is obviously not enough here.

Suggestions brochure
In the suggestions brochure can be found what requirements a playground should meet to be suitable for every child, with out without a disability. First of all, there are basic measurements that should be taken. This involves making the playground, the environment around the playground and the play equipment reachable and making the equipment playable for everyone. Suggestions brochure 2008

 

3. Realization phase

Independent work.
In the renovation route it is very important for the playground to work independently. The organization of the renovation is an important part of this independency, but also starting financial actions or performing the operations during the constructions
is a part of this.

Balanced exploitation books.
Along with the plans belong balanced exploitation books, where the facilities and reservations for new equipment should be clearly indicated. This is important because quite a few playgrounds got themselves into trouble because they did not reserve money for the renewal of play equipment. Deltaplan playgrounds should be able to renew their old equipment in the future.

Project coordination

NUSO has a member of staff who is responsible for the coordination and the realization of Deltaplan playgrounds. The effort of the NUSO co-worker is always tuned with other organizations that are involved in the playground. These organizations are normally: The provincial adviser, community worker and government officials. Since 1998 over eighty Deltaplan projects were realized.