Parks no longer for children - a rising sentiment

It was eldest daughter's Junior High School graduation at the weekend. There was a period of time when the students were in a separate building and the parents were talking among themselves. Between one thing or another, the conversation led to a discussion among a group of us of how "parks are no longer for children".

There were several points raised, but it all started with how the kids couldn't kick around a football in a local neighborhood park, because the older generation hog it each morning - for the whole morning - to play gate ball. And they leave the gates set up in the field for their play the next day. At first, I thought sure isn't it great they are playing gate-ball.  But the more I heard the details, the more I began to realize that indeed, it is limiting the places the kids in that neighborhood can play off road. 

Then this morning, purely coincidental, I saw a panel having a similar discussion on TV Asahi! They did mention gate ball too, briefly! But they also pointed out several other things, including the increase in exercise equipment for adults in parks (see photo), rather than playground equipment for children. I have actually noticed a couple of parks that completely replaced playground equipment with exercise equipment, but replacing one with the other is (currently) still rare. 

Does your local park have more people playing gate-ball than kicking around a ball? Is there more exercise equipment than playground equipment?