Beyond child’s play: heritage as process in Singapore’s playgrounds

Abstract

This paper develops the idea of heritage as a process that involves the interpretation and management of heritage sites. This understanding is developed empirically through a case study of mosaic playgrounds in Singapore. Investigating these playgrounds contributes to an expanded notion of heritage places beyond high-profile sites and monuments. With an explicit focus on the everyday users of playgrounds, we illustrate how the application of an ‘everyday geographies’ approach to the study of heritage provides an analytical balance to understanding the heritage process. A multiple methods approach is adopted, with findings drawn from quantitative data based on questionnaire surveys distributed to everyday users, qualitative data based on semi-structured interviews with everyday users and state representatives, as well as secondary data sources. Heritage is always in the process of becoming rather than a constant given. Towards this end, we discuss the dissonant and consonant heritage of playgrounds as perceived by everyday users, as well as the necessity of change in and management of heritage sites. How, why and whether the processes of change affect heritage are also critically explored.

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