One of the things I like to think about a lot is what does infrastructure tell about us. To give a non-related example, where I grew up, many buildings were built in the 19th century, before electric elevators became prevalent thus staircases are in prominent, usually central in building architecture and newer buildings follow these principles. You never have to guess where the stairs are. Now in the USA, staircases are so consistently hidden, the best indicator of how well you know a building is to know where the stairs are, better yet take them.
The same ideas apply to playgrounds. The way playgrounds were designed where I grew up was to have some central space where kids can safely play that don't really accommodate adults, and then put benches around that space so parents can take a seat and watch the kids from a distance. In the USA, at least where I live, playground structures have multiple 6-foot drops and are designed to accommodate parents who have to hover to make sure their kids are fine. In contrast, benches aren't positioned in a way so you can see your kids off of them. This is a reflection of a parenting style, or at least the expectation of.