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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.