‘Fragmented’ policies leading councils to prioritise approval of housebuilding over parks, researchers find Children in cities across Britain face barriers to playing outside because urban planners are prioritising housebuilding over parks, a study has found. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Cities and Health, found that planners were prioritising the approval of new homes ahead of outdoor play spaces due to a combination of policy misalignment, financial constraints and pressures stemming from a lack of housing.