Dr. Play

About Dr. Play

Join Dr. Damien Puddle, New Zealand's first PhD in parkour, as he jumps into the world of play to revolutionise our approach to city design and child development. The Playful City podcast challenges conventional thinking while providing practical ideas for incorporating play into everyday urban life. Whether you're a parent, educator, or urban planner, join us to explore how we can transform our communities into vibrant playgrounds for all ages.

Publisher

Dr. Damien Puddle

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Mar 2025

Latest episode

14 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Aug 2026

   The Playful City: Play in the Age of AI

   Dr. Damien Puddle, New Zealand's first PhD in parkour, explores the intersection of play and artificial intelligence in this episode of The Playful City. As AI reshapes the world around us, what does that mean for how we play, how our children develop, and how we design our cities? Thought provoking, practical, and ahead of the curve, on Radio Southland.

2. 

   31 Jul 2026

   The Playful City: Roads and Sport - Riskier Than Playgrounds

   Dr. Damien Puddle, New Zealand's first PhD in parkour, challenges one of our most persistent assumptions about child safety in this episode of The Playful City. Are playgrounds really as dangerous as we think - and are roads and organised sport actually riskier? A thought provoking look at risk, play, and how we can better design our communities for children.

3. 

   17 Jul 2026

   The Playful City: The Future of Play

   Dr. Damien Puddle, New Zealand's first PhD in parkour, turns his attention to the future of play in this episode of The Playful City. From city design to child development, Damien challenges conventional thinking and explores what play could and should look like in the years ahead. Practical, visionary, and essential listening for parents, educators, and urban planners.

Podcast Authority Score: 3 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

7

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Dr. Play

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.