The creative playground is under siege. Land scarcity, underfunded municipal governments, and rising costs are all impediments to constructing innovative public spaces. Moreover, parents’ concerns—some more reasonable than others—about their children’s safety increasingly shapes playground design. The confluence of these factors can produce interesting results, but the odds are against such outcomes. virtual reality may be the way forward If communities cannot build interesting and stimulating parks on city blocks, where can they be built? One possible option is virtual space. That, at least, is a possible reading of George Michael Brower’s Playthings: Musical VR Playground. The experience is a…