Why are some Philadelphia playgrounds missing swings?

Have you ever wondered why some Philadelphia playgrounds do not have swings and sliding boards anymore? We looked into the matter and here’s what we could find out. After conversations with Philadelphia recreation officials, it appears the reason is part liability, cost, and politics.

All play equipment, such as swing sets and sliding boards, must have a certain amount of surrounding safety surface to cushion a child if he or she falls. To keep up with the latest national playground safety standards, known as the dirty dozen, Philadelphia recreation officials are replacing out-of-code surfaces and old play equipment with up-to-code safety surfaces and new play equipment.

But when these renovation costs exceed $15,000, recreation officials must submit a capital improvements recommendation to the city’s Department of Public Property, which in turn hands it over to the City Council member representing the district where the playground is located. City Council members make the final call because they allocate the money for capital improvements in their district, including playground projects costing more than $15,000.

When recreation officials submit a capital improvements recommendation, they also make sure to reduce any liability on their part. For example, if the safety surface surrounding a row of swings is not up to code, they will take down the swings to avoid a child falling off the swings and getting hurt. As a result, some playgrounds can be left without swings, and just a skeletal swing set frame, for an indefinite amount of time.

We asked city recreation officials for a list of playgrounds currently without certain play equipment items, and a list of which playgrounds they have submitted capital improvement requests for projects exceeding $15,000. They told us that they do not have such information on record and will eventually compile that information.

If you think the city should reinstall certain play equipment at your local playground, then your best bet is to reach out to recreation officials and your City Council member. Here’s the link where you can find phone numbers for various recreation personnel.

Read Part 1 about how Philadelphia recreation officials are handling safety hazards at recreational facilities and potential budget cuts.