There is something sad and dispiriting about this image of a swing set with no swing. A stolen swing suggests some of the more carefree aspects of childhood might be missing as well. Has racism played a role in the city’s neglect of this park in a North End neighbourhood? The playground is paved and surrounded by fences and public housing, with no trees or other green features anywhere in sight. The absence of people in the picture adds to the mood of abandonment.