A play street is a car-free zone next to a school or preschool — an extension of the schoolyard and a place where children can transition safely and calmly on their way to and from school.
The Stockholm Play Streets pilot project was launched in 2023 with a vision of creating spaces for socializing, play, activity, and greenery outside schools and preschools in Stockholm. Traffic and parking are deprioritized near schools in order to create areas where children can move around safely and comfortably before and after school hours.

Outside the Björngårdsskolan school on Södermalm in Stockholm, the city’s first official play street has now been completed. In front of the school, former traffic lanes and parking spaces have been transformed into new public spaces with plantings and trees

Temporary Play Streets

The project began by testing temporary interventions at three different schools in the Stockholm area to explore the possibility of redirecting and closing traffic near schools using temporary measures and playful street furniture.
These tests were important in understanding how traffic movements were affected and how they functioned during the street closures. After the trials, conclusions were drawn regarding what worked well and what challenges arose in relation to the temporary traffic solutions.

Several criteria were used to select and develop solutions for each street adjacent to the selected schools:

• The street must have a speed limit lower than 50 km/h.
• The street must not serve as a primary delivery route.
• There must be no loading zone or garage access along the relevant section.
• The street must not be used by public transport.
• The street must be public.
• The school must have an entrance facing the street.
• The school must have more than 200 students.
• The school’s outdoor area must be smaller than 20 sqm per student.

Permanent Play Street

The temporary trials provided valuable knowledge that affected the permanent design, where the street in front of Björngårdsskolan became the first designed and completed play street.
The new play street consists of a wide, elongated public space in front of the school’s main entrance. Trees and plantings have been added on both sides of the street, providing greenery and shade while also functioning as traffic-calming elements within the streetscape. Before the street was redesigned, the area in front of the school entrance was used for parking and vehicle traffic.
A playful fence separates the area from traffic and clearly signals to passing drivers that children are present. The space is furnished for socializing, play, and activity, primarily aimed at children in primary and middle school — the age group attending the adjacent school. However, the space is also intended to be accessible and enjoyable for all ages. Benches and tables encourage social interaction for older visitors, while wooden bears made from tree trunks invite younger children to play and climb. A dance mirror, together with games and playful markings painted on the ground, creates opportunities for different types of active play and movement.

In front of the school entrance and staircase, a patterned carpet of brick paving extends across the ground, creating a gathering space for students and staff during various activities and events.
An overhead canopy of atmospheric lighting makes the space usable, safe and cozy even during the darker hours and days of the year.

In connection with the design of the area outside Björngårdsskolan, a design program for future Play Streets in Stockholm was also developed, including guidelines for street furniture, play equipment, greenery, lighting, and more. It is used right now to develope more play streets in Stockholm.

Client: The city of Stockholm transport department

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