As part of the Royal College of Art’s Grand Challenge, our team was assigned the borough of Islington, one of London’s most deprived and densely populated areas. Despite numerous small parks across residential neighborhoods, we found that most playgrounds were empty during play hours. Through on-site visits and interviews with playworkers, parents, and community volunteers, we discovered that structured, equipment-based playgrounds failed to engage children—especially those from low-income families or young carers with limited freedom to travel.

In contrast, adventure playgrounds—community-run spaces built from loose materials and open-ended structures—were thriving. Their success lay in offering unstructured play, where children could build, imagine, and take risks freely.

Our design response, Pocket Adventure, brings this spirit of creativity and independence to small neighborhood parks. The proposal introduces modular, low-cost structures made from durable, sustainable materials that can be easily assembled, rearranged, or repaired by local communities. Designed to promote autonomy, inclusivity, and resilience, the playgrounds provide flexible spaces for imaginative play while fostering neighborhood interaction and care.

By transforming underused “pocket parks” into vibrant community play spaces, Pocket Adventure helps “bring adventure play to children’s doorsteps”, making play accessible, inclusive, and empowering for all.