case studies in placemaking - Alliance for Community...

2009ASLAAnnualMeetingandExpo

CaseStudiesinPlacemaking&PlaySpacesUsingCustomDesigntoCreateaSenseofPlace

Sessiondate/time:9/21/2009,8:00a.m.SteveKing,FASLA,LandscapeStructuresJeffreyVelasquez,LA,J2EngineeringandEnvironmentalDesignStephenShurson,LA,ThreeRiversParkDistrict

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SessionDescriptionPeoplecometoparksforavarietyofreasons.Onereoccurringreasonistoplaywiththeirkids,towatchtheirkidsplay,andeventoenjoyararemomentofpeace.Kidsandadultsoftenspendhoursatthesespecialplaces,andparentswillscheduletripstocomebackbecauseitfeelsgoodtorelax,observeandmeetothers.Theywillcomebackbecausetheparkanditsexperiencesarerelevantfortheirkids’well‐being,andbecausethispublicspaceofferssomethingthatcanbefoundnowhereelse.Theseplayspacesareeducational.They’reinterpretiveandcreative.Theyofferinteractiveopportunitiestolearnaboutlocalecology,stories,ethnicityandtraditions.They’redesignedtohelppeopleofallagesconnecttheirexperienceswiththehistoryoftheregion.Thisistheideabehindcreatinga“senseofplace”thatgeographershavediscussedforyears‐‐thedirectawarenessofhowourhometownsandregionsareuniqueandmeaningful.Byhelpingpeoplereconnectwithnatureandlearnaboutthelocalsignificanceof“place,”anewgenerationofplaygroundscanhelpfillavoidinmodernlifewherepeopleareoftencutofffromnature,unawareofanarea’shistoryanditsrelationshiptooveralldevelopment,andoftencutofffrominteractingwithoneanother.ManyAmericansmovefromonesuburbtoanotherwithverylittlesenseofhowtheareasdiffer.Theirkidsgrowupinover‐structuredsettingswheretheyhaveverylittlechancetoexploreontheirown.Adultsarecutofffromotheradults,andthesignificanceofexperiencingintergenerationalmixingoftheyoungandelderlyisoftenoverlooked.Theideaof“place”andfosteringalocalappreciationforitmattersforlandscapearchitectswhoseektoinstillasenseofstewardshipfortheland.Howbettertoencourageachildtosomedaycampaigntoprotectawatershedthantointroducehertosustainableirrigationinadesertplayground?Howcanasensorygardenhelpchildrenandadultslearnthatinteractingwithnaturecanbesomuchmorethanavisualofa“landscapedscene.”Thatit’smoreaboutathoroughunderstandingthatinsects,theseasons,growthanddecayareallpartofnature’scycles.Thissessionexplorestheconceptofplacemakinginplayspacesandlooksattwospecificprojectsthatweresuccessfulincreatingasenseofplacefortheircommunity.Thoughfromtwoverydifferentregionsofthecountry,ArizonaandMinnesota,theybothshowhowdesignforplaycanencourageconversations,fantasyplay,andnewawarenessofregionalecologyandhistory.AtTumbleweedParkinChandler,Arizona,wevisitaparkthatinterpretsitspastandtellsstories,throughavarietyofmethodsandexperiences,ofthreehistoricalerasof

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theregionsdevelopment:fossildiscoveryandtheancientpast,farmingandtherecentpast,andthecitygrowthofmodern‐dayChandler.Thepark’stributetothepasteducateschildrenandhelpsshapethearea’scharactertoday.AtLakeRebeccaParkReserve,westofMinneapolis,Minnesota,welearnhowaparkcaneducatekidsaboutthehistoricalsignificanceandimportanceofthenative“BigWoods”forestecotypeofcentralMinnesotaanditsimportancefortheUpperMidwest.Bothprojectscreatemeaningfulsensesofplaceandexperiencesfortheirvisitors.Bothhelpusappreciateplacemakinginanewway.

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SessionOutlineI. IntroductiontoPlacemakinginPlaySpaces

a. The“Placemaking”Movement:i. Placemakingisnotanewconcept;originated1960sii. Placemakingisgrowingintobroad,internationalmovementiii. Placemakingstrikesabalancebetweenthephysical,socialandeven

thespiritualqualitiesofaplaceiv. Placemakinginvolvescreatingexperiences,notstructures

b. Defineplacemakinginplayspacesi. Drawcultural,geologicalorhistoricalsignificancefromthe

environmentorcommunityii. Utilizecustomdesigntocreateeducationalandinterpretiveplayand

gatheringspacesthataremeaningfultochildrenandfamiliesiii. Expandthescopetoincludeprogrammingandotherparkelements

tocompletetheexperiencec. Howplacemakinginplaydesignaddressesemergingtrends

i. Losingsightofhistory;spacescanbecustomizedtoahistoricalthemeii. Isolationofchildrenfromnature;spaceswithnaturethemeand

naturalelementshelpscreateconnectionbetweenkidsandnatureiii. Regimentationofchildren’slives;parkswithsenseofplacedrawkids

outsideandencouragecreative,imaginativeplayiv. Regionalism;placemakingindesigncanhighlightspecificregional

attributesd. Benefitsofdesigningasenseofplaceinplayspaces

i. Createseducationalopportunitiesii. Moreattractiveasamulti‐generationalgatheringspace;draws

peopleofallagesiii. Preserveslegaciesofthepastiv. Connectsaregionshistory,culture,habitatorgeologytothepresent

placev. Celebratesnatureandhistory;canexposeanareas“story”inaway

thatcanbelearnedandcelebratedinafun,imaginativewayvi. Createsdynamiccommunitygatheringspacevii. Drawsmorepeopleforlongerperiodsoftimeviii. Revitalizesareasofinterest

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e. Example–KelloggPark,LaJollaBeach,California

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II. CaseStudy–“Playtopia,”TumbleweedPark,Chandler,Arizona

Asuccessinconnectingaregionsrichhistorytothepresent–fromdinosaursoftheancientpast,tofarmingofthemorerecentpast,tothecityofmodern‐day.

a. DescriptionThisexcitingphaseisthenewestadditiontotheCityofChandler’s205‐acreTumbleweedRegionalPark.Theimprovementsincludeda26‐acrefacilitythatprovidesrecreationalactivitiesandcreativeplayopportunitiesforchildrenofallages.Theprojectincludesgrouppavilionpicnicareasforupto480people,11themedpicnicramadas,asoft‐surfacemulti‐usetrail,concretepaths,horseshoepits,volleyballcourt,threemulti‐usesportsfieldsforsoccerandfootball,aparkingarea,overfloweventparking,arestroomfacility,and’“Playtopia”,achildren’splayground.“Playtopia”istheCityofChandler’s3‐acrepremierdestinationplayareathathasbeenreferredtobytheArizonaRepublicnewspaperasthe“MotherofallPlaygrounds”.“Playtopia”andthenewparkfacilitiesopenedtothepublicinMay,2007.

b. VisionInspiredandsymbolizedbythreehistoricalerasoftheCityofChandler’sdevelopment:fossildiscoveryandtheancientpast,farmingandtherecentpast,andthecitygrowthofmodern‐dayChandler.Thesethreethemedplayareas,whichofferanidealplaceforimaginative,stimulatingplayforchildren,are“CritterLand”,“FarmLand”,and“CityLand.”

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1. CritterLand–paystributetotheareathousandsofyearsagowhen

dinosaursroamedtheearth.Includesafossildigwhere,just12yearsago,remainsofaWoolyMammothwereunearthed

2. FarmLand–payshomagetoChandler’sagriculturalrootsandprovidesimaginativeplaywithdistinctivefarm‐themedapparatus

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3. CityLand–urbanthemedlandscape,symbolizinghowChandler

evolvedintowhatitistoday:pavedstreets,streetsigns,cityvehiclesandlampposts

c. ProjectGoalsi. Createamajorregionaldraw,adestinationplaygroundii. Utilizeeffluentwaterforthelandscapeareasiii. MaintainTumbleweedPark’sruralaestheticcharacteriv. Maintainasenseoftheagriculturalheritageofthissiteandof

Chandler’spastv. InterpretChandler’shistoryvi. Educatechildrenaboutthearea’spast

d. ExperienceofthePark

i. Parentswillexperiencethecomfortoflettingtheirchildrenrunandroamfreelyovertheacresofgrassybermsandopenspace,withoutthedangersofvehiculartraffic

ii. Childrenwillexperiencethefeelingof“utopia”asthey’reallowedtoexploredinosaurdigs,farmlandandcitylife

iii. Visitorswillexperienceasenseofimagination,creativeplayfulnessandalsoeducationfromsignsplacedthroughouttheparkthatdisplayhistoricphotographsofChandlerthattieintothethemedelementsinsidePlaytopia

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e. ConnectiontotheEnvironmentSiteimprovementsprovidevastareasofgreenopenspaceandplantingwhileutilizingChandler’sreclaimedwatersystemtosupplywatertothelandscape

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III. CaseStudy–“BigWoodsPlayArea”atLakeRebeccaParkReserve,

Minneapolis,MinnesotaAnexcellentexampleofenvironmentalstewardship.Note:thisprojectwasunderconstructionatthetimethishandoutwasdue.UpdatedphotoswillbeshownatthepresentationinSeptember.

a. Vision:The“BigWoods”forestecosystemPreservationandpromotionofnaturalresourcesiscentraltoThreeRiversParkDistrict’smissionandoperations.LakeRebeccaParkReserveislocatedinthemiddleofthelargestareaofpre‐settlement“bigwoods”forestoftheregion.Besidesprovidingenvironmentaleducation,ThreeRiversParkDistrictwantedtotellthestoryoftherelevanceandvalueofthisnativeforest.Thestoryincludeshowtheforesttypehasbeendiminishedtoonlytwopercentofitsoriginalpre‐settlementextentintheupperMidwest.

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b. ProjectGoals

Createauniqueandcreativeplayenvironmentthateducatesandallowskidstorelatetothenativeforesteco‐typeformuchofCentralandEasternMinnesota.The“BigWoods”forest(dominatedbysugarmaple,basswoodandoakspecies)wasfirstcoinedbyFrenchexplorerswhonoticedthatthetreesweretallerandstraighterthanotherforestsoftheregion.ThisplayareaprojectisdesignedtoemulatemanyaspectsofthishistoricallysignificantandimportantecologytotheupperMidwest.

c. ProjectDesignThedesignincludescustomplaystructuresthatlooklikeahollowedoutfallentree,atreehouseandacabin,allofwhichhavevariousclimbers,slidesandcrawlspaces.Scatteredthroughouttheplayareaarevarioushiddencrittersnativetotheforestwhichareapartofa‘scavengerhunt’forkids.Afabricatedrockout‐croppingprovidesaclimbingexperienceandincludesacave,completewithbats,fossilsandpetroglyphs.

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Squirrel

Plaque

ScavengerHunt:

TreeHouseSketch:

Tip‐upTreeSketch:

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IV. Q&A

Cave(kidscanfindconcretebatsandsalamandersinside!):

Cabin–underconstruction:

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SpeakerBios

1. SteveKing,LSISteveKing,FASLA,isaregisteredLandscapeArchitect,co‐founderandchairmanofLandscapeStructuresInc.,andamemberofseveralindustrytaskforcesonplaygroundsafetystandards.Hehasbeendesigningplayequipmentformorethan36yearsandistheoriginatorofthe“continuousplay”conceptusedinnearlyalloftoday’splaysystems.Hecontinuallyworkstowardscreatingplaygroundsthatare“beyondaccessibility,”allowingchildrenofallabilitiesanddisabilitiestoplaytogether.

2. JeffVelasquez,RLAfromTumbleweedParkprojectJeffVelasquezisa1995graduateofCaliforniaStatePolytechnicUniversity,Pomona,withaBachelorofSciencedegreeinLandscapeArchitecture.HeisaregisteredLandscapeArchitectinthestateofArizonaandisalsoamemberoftheAmericanSocietyofLandscapeArchitects(ASLA).JeffhasoverfourteenyearsofprofessionalexperienceinLandscapeArchitecture.Jeffhasbeenaprojectmanageranddirectedmulti‐disciplinarydesignteamsonavarietyprojectsthatinclude:regional,communityandneighborhoodparkdesign,environmentalrestorationandnativerevegetationprojects,pedestrian‐orientedstreetscaperedevelopment,multi‐usetrailsystems,sportscomplexes,andmajorplannedcommunitydevelopments.

3. StephenShurson,LandscapeArchitect/ProjectManagerfortheBigWoodsPlay

AreaprojectStephenShursonisa1982graduateoftheUniversityofWisconsin‐Madison,withbachelordegreesinLandscapeArchitectureandHorticulture.Stephenisa registeredLandscapeArchitect inMinnesotaand isalsoamemberof theAmericanSocietyofLandscapeArchitects(ASLA).StephenhastwentysevenyearsofprofessionalexperienceinLandscapeArchitectureintheprivateandpublic sectors. For the past eight years Stephen has been a landscapearchitect for Three Rivers Park District, a large regional, natural resource‐based park system located in the west suburban communities of the TwinCitiesinMinnesota.Stephen’sroleatThreeRiversParkDistricthasbeenasproject manager, designing and coordinating projects including many parkplayareas,multi‐usetrailandvarioussiteplanningprojects.