What do the spaces where we play as children teach us about belonging, confidence, and opportunity?

In this episode of The Real State, Alex Norman and Jamie Blond sit down with Honorata Gręczykowska, an urban designer living and working in Barcelona whose research focuses on how the design of everyday spaces influences behavior, mobility, and social dynamics. Drawing from years of work across Europe and deep, year-long studies inside Catalonian primary schools, Honorata explains why schoolyards are often the first true public spaces children navigate independently—and why they matter far more than we realize.

The conversation explores how culture, especially in a football-centric city like Barcelona, shapes public space design, and how participatory, intersectional research with children, parents, teachers, and municipalities can challenge long-standing norms. We dig into how small design decisions can dramatically change who feels welcome, who participates, and who is pushed to the margins, and why inclusive design doesn’t require big budgets—just better understanding.

We close by looking ahead. What could the future of schoolyards, parks, and public spaces look like if cities truly designed for how people live and play? And how might these early experiences shape healthier, more confident communities for generations to come?

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