Playing with Trust

The Background

Brincando com Confiança (Playing with Trust) is a project created by The City Needs You Institute, an urban collective of thinkers, makers and transformers of public places,. Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit organization, we work with STIPO, Mister (Basurama), and the developer DUST to create solutions for the re-occupation of public spaces in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Playing with Trust was selected in the open call Volver A La Calle from the Interamerican Bank of Development, and was developed in close collaboration with Largo do Arouche. This public square in the center of São Paulo is where we conducted multiple play-tests to inform the co-creation process.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented huge challenges all over the world including the need to social distance with meeting in public spaces considered a health risk. This has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among people who no longer consider social interaction as safe practice. Public spaces have been emptied and cordoned off both physically and symbolically losing their critical role as a meeting space between different social groups for physical, mental and emotional health and support. This has had a profound impact on the social cohesion and mental health of a city's citizens, who are deprived of safe spaces for human connection.

As the isolation measures are relaxed, it's time to reconnect with public space in your area in a way that is both safe and meaningful. Through Playing with Trust we can still play together whilst staying apart and in doing so reconnect with each other and the places we live, learn, work and play in.