regarded by many experts as a pioneering state for its expansive network of parks, playgrounds, and other spaces for recreation. Hartford was lauded as a striking example of a planned urban landscape and Bridgeport was known as "Park City." Though many in Connecticut had an especially keen interest in shaping the built environment and "natural" spaces in the state to better suit the peoples' need for recreation, these efforts were also part of a larger national and international trend. As cities grew, many urban reformers took to the streets, bringing children out of dangerous areas to make way for trolleys and eventually, cars. Through the development of playgrounds, ball fields and parks, adults' and children's play became a far more serious and regulated matter in the Progressive era. Learn more about the business of shaping play during this talk on Connecticut's history of youth and recreation.