An Austrian architect on the deficit of play areas in Mumbai—and why it’s everyone’s fight
Play remains overlooked by policymakers and communities alike; (right) Playgrounds are spaces that exist within the flow of daily life
Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest informal settlements, Juhu and Khar danda—three neighbourhoods often spoken about in terms of congestion. But have you ever recalled them as spaces of play where children find moments of joy amid open litter bins, turn narrow alleys into cricket pitches, and convert courtyards into theatres of imagination?
In Cult of Play: The Culture and Development of Children’s Play in Mumbai & Beyond, Austrian architect Martina Maria Spies—founder of Anukruti, a social initiative for child-friendly spaces—along with co-editor Pritika Akhil Kumar, urges us to see these neighbourhoods in a new light. Through on-site explorations with children, the recently launched book presents a spatial system that redefines play—not as an activity confined to earmarked playgrounds but as something that flows seamlessly into homes, doorsteps, and communal spaces.
This publication is the culmination of a two-year research project funded by KEF (Kommission für Entwicklungsforschung/ÖAD), titled The Culture and Development of Children’s Play: The Sociocultural Influences of Playgrounds on the Development of Children, with case studies in Mumbai (2017-2019). Alongside its research findings, the book brings together articles from experts in sociology, urban design, urban planning, and architecture, offering a multifaceted exploration of how play shapes childhood and city life.
The book underscores the stark absence of recreational spaces for children on the margins. Pics Courtesy/Cult Of Play
The book builds on years of work by Anukruti, the NGO Spies founded in 2013, named after the Hindi term for “small, creative spaces”. Rooted in scientific research on Dharavi, one of Mumbai’s largest informal settlements, Anukruti has developed unique playgrounds called Playflowers in low-funded schools, informal communities, and orphanages across the city and beyond. This work underscored the stark absence of recreational spaces for children on the margins and also that play remains overlooked by policymakers and communities alike.
As Spies elaborates: “We transformed unused corners and narrow lanes into interactive play zones in Dharavi, using locally available materials. By painting hopscotch grids, adding climbing elements, and repurposing everyday objects into play structures, we enabled children to engage with the neighbourhood.” In Juhu Koliwada, a dense resettlement colony, Spies organised workshops with students from diverse architecture colleges of Mumbai to install play equipment from scrap. These are not isolated playgrounds but spaces that exist within the flow of daily life—woven into the very fabric of the crowded suburbs.
In Khar danda—a fragile neighbourhood near a coastal edge—Spies and her team organised painting-origami workshops with children and their mothers.
Spies emphasises that all their designs so far emerge from close collaboration. “We don’t impose structures; we listen, observe, and co-create with them.”
As Mumbai is rapidly being redefined by towering high-rises and large-scale redevelopment projects, Cult of Play holds particular significance. It highlights spaces that may not have been factored into the city’s transformation—neighbourhoods where play is not just amusement but a way of life. That an Austrian architect’s prism offers this perspective on Mumbai is also intriguing—it reveals Spies’ long-term investment in the city and its children.
Born in Payerbach (Austria), Spies first arrived in Mumbai in 2008 for architectural work and later immersed herself in research on Dharavi’s neighbourhoods as part of a KEF-funded project. After working in Austria and Japan, including with renowned architect Shigeru Ban, she returned in 2013 to pursue her PhD and establish Anukruti, an initiative she co-founded with her father, Frederich Spies. Since then, she has moved between Austria and India, reimagining play spaces for children in Mumbai’s informal settlements, creating both permanent and temporary playgrounds.
Spies is an architect, urban designer, and activist all rolled into one. She has led research projects such as Ground Up: A Dwellers’ Focused Design Tool for Upgrading Living Space in Dharavi, Mumbai, exploring one of the world’s densest informal settlements. Holding a doctorate in urban design and architecture from TU Graz, she also curated two international exhibitions—Dharavi: Places and Identities and Let’s Play! Children as Creators of Informal Playspaces.
Cult of Play takes a deep look at not just Mumbai’s spaces but the general need to carve functional play areas. Play spaces (or the lack of them) define a city, shaping how children interact with their surroundings and how communities evolve. The book is structured around the cultures of children’s play, the interplay between social and built environments, and the policies that influence urban playgrounds. Through essays, case studies, and design interventions, it explores themes like co-creation and gendered spaces. Moving beyond theory, Cult of Play also proposes an innovative design tool for playgrounds in Mumbai, offering a practical framework for reimagining urban spaces that foster social bonding.
While it delves into the history of play in India, and the impact of COVID-19 on children’s play, the book also underscores a contradiction in Indian society—while play is often undervalued in terms of personality development, it has deep roots in mythology. Stories from the Mahabharata and figures like jumping Hanuman and makhanchor Krishna illustrate that play has long been recognised as vital to survival and growth. These myths offer insights into childhood psychology, showing that play, whether among mortals or divine beings, has remained constant across time. The narrative of Krishna mistaking Indra’s elephant for a toy and facing unintended consequences reflects how adults have historically viewed these leela with caution.
The book points to another contradiction. In theory, it is widely acknowledged that outdoor play is crucial for children to build relationships and develop empathy; but in the race to build more malls and multiplexes, city planners seem to have decided that children can do just fine without open spaces. Mumbai, for instance, offers a grand total of 1.28 square metres of public space per person (as opposed to the prescribed 10 to 12 sq m per person)—barely enough to swing a skipping rope without hitting a parked car.
Also in Mumbai, urban spatiality has historically been shaped by its linear geography and defining transit lines. The city’s landscape is marked by a striking juxtaposition—informal settlements pressed up against soaring high-rises, creating a deeply polarised metropolitan fabric.
The hope is in Mumbai’s industrious, gutsy children (some guardians too) who carve out their own play areas. At Juhu Beach, where no formal play structures exist, children and families bring their own equipment—cricket bats, football goalposts, and even sculpting tools for sand art. Improvised stumps made of wooden sticks or footwear mark out cricket pitches, while volleyball nets and makeshift courts appear and disappear with the tides.
Similarly, in Khar Danda’s Nalla Ground, children reclaim space in creative ways. With no designated play elements, they turn debris from demolished houses into makeshift playgrounds. The game of goti, played with small concrete balls, thrives here, as do marbles, particularly among girls who play in the narrow lanes.
In Dharavi, play is shaped by the terrain itself. Potholes double as marble pits, while steps leading to the mosque serve as slides for younger children. The local chowk, a communal open space, transforms throughout the day—filled with children playing, chatting, or squabbling, while working men pause for chai and conversation. At prayer times, the ground falls silent, only to spring back to life moments later. In this dense, dynamic city, children can’t wait for playgrounds to be built—they make their own.
1.28 sq m
Public space per person in Mumbai, as opposed to the prescribed 10-12 sq m per person
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