Mini maddern
Transforming a scary urban square into a globally celebrated playground.
INTRODUCTION
Place is never neutral. This place is playful.
Why us?
Council had attempted two previous rebuilds of Maddern Square, in central Footscray but the new trees, ramps and furniture didn’t change what was going on and how unsafe most people felt. Occasional activations by community groups showed the space could be vibrant, but when the stalls packed down things went back to normal.
We saw a chance to show that designing for people’s most basic, daily needs is a guaranteed way of increasing visitation and activation, rather than relying on one-off events.
HOW DID WE HELP?
We knew that this rare patch of green space would be well loved by the community, in particular, young families if there was something fun to do in and around everyday life.
We studied the space to work out what made it so uncomfortable, built a campaign to engage families, businesses and partners and designed a radical, low-cost playful takeover.
Mini Maddern started with a 48-hour build party, where children and their big humans claimed Maddern square and transformed it for play.
Over the next 12 weeks, we curated a program of events, workshops and play sessions (3 days / week), facilitated by Victoria University Early Years students (as part of their placement).
“Meaning, involvement and a real sense of ownership can contribute significantly to the physical, social and cultural (and even spiritual) regeneration of a townscape” (Percy-Smith & Carney, 2011, p. 30)
PROBLEMS
What problems did we solve and how?
-
Maddern square is hard to spot, tucked away behind shops, vacant buildings and carparking. Although there are lots of ways in, all of them feel narrow, unsafe and uninviting.
We couldn’t change any of the buildings, laneways or carparks - but we could:
tell people there was something incredible happening here
offer glimpses of fun and friendly faces at the end of each laneway
clearly ‘brand’ the square and all of its entries to be distinctly different, fun and safe for kids.
-
Folk with no where to go and nothing to do find hidden spaces to hang out. Maddern square was home to a whole bunch of people who told us we were crazy to bring kids into this dangerous place.
Our goal was never to move them on. It was for them to modify their own behaviour in response to those around them.
-
We dreamed up Mini Maddern in the months prior to COVID turning all of our lives upside down. It started out as a fun idea to make space for kids in the city but as the lockdowns dragged on it became our love letter to the public realm - a space for encounter, connection and joy.
Audience
How did play change Footscray?
Mini Maddern changed many people’s view of Footscray. It brought together families from local suburbs as well as from across Melbourne for free, radical, child-led play.
Local cafes loved the foot traffic and hungry families that would stay and play for hours.
Mini Maddern shows low-cost, human-centred solutions that invite people to engage with their city and each other improve wellbeing and safety.
Families met up with others they already knew, but also spent time with “different people we met”. Parents described the space as relaxed, friendly, inviting, with “lots of energy”. They commented on the “feel” of the space: that it felt welcoming; they felt a sense of community and that children were “delighted at the idea that someone had created this space for them”.
Almost all parents reported that time spent at the Mini Maddern had a positive impact on their child’s wellbeing (96.8%) and on their own wellbeing (92.1%).
BEHIND THE SCENES
A glimpse of how we made it happen:
SUMMARY
Using traffic cones, orange paint and partnerships, we created a globally celebrated playground.
Why does it look like that?
We are big fans of artist Jeffrey Smart’s paintings that make ordinary street corners and city spaces seem otherworldly. Inspired by Smart, we made the humble traffic cone our mascot. A traffic cone is a symbol beyond language - globally understood to mean that something has changed and you must take care.
We designed a giant cone to signpost the play, providing seating and lighting. With donated paint, we transformed salvaged materials into wonderous playthings - walking that delicate line between curated and chaotic to create a sense of place.
Any surprises?
Most of Maddern Square’s original inhabitants stayed away on play days, but occasionally they’d be there, sitting in the sun and mostly minding their own business.
Every now and then, they’d join a street soccer game or have a free feed from a community sausage sizzle.
Mini Maddern convinced local families, shopkeepers and Council that places to play-on-the-way are compatible with diverse public life if designed well and actively supported by parents.
PROJECT DETAILS
CLIENT: Maribyrnong City Council
LOCATION: Footscray, MELBOURNE Woi Wurrung and Boonurung Country
STATUS: COMPLETE
COMPLETED: 2021
VALUE: $50K
rESEARCH
The University of Melbourne’s Research in Effective Education in Early Childhood (REEaCH) Centre at Melbourne Graduate School of Education and Melbourne School of Design researched the success of the project from families and other stakeholders’ points of view.
Awards + exibitions
ArchiTeam Awards, Innovation and Contribution Category, Commendation 2021
Planning Institute of Australia, Victorian Chaper Awards, Community Wellbeing and Diversity Category Award for Planning Excellence 2022
Melbourne Design Week 2020 (Build Party), 2021, 2022
services
Consultation + Engagement
Urban Design
Placemaking + Activation
Research + Advocacy
PARTNERS
Victoria University - Funder, partner, Early Years Pedagogy, student volunteers
City of Maribyrnong - Funder and partner
Susu Studio - Graphic Design
Bunnings - Sponsor