In communities lacking green space, public access to upgraded school playgrounds is a win-win solution.
Adele Peters reports on a program that helps open up school playgrounds to surrounding communities, particularly in areas where residents do not have easy access to parks and open space.
"The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit that helps schools and cities create 'shared-use' agreements for playground space, calculated that if all schoolyards in the U.S. were opened to the public during nonschool hours, nearly 20 million Americans who don’t currently live near parks would suddenly be a short walk from one," writes Peters.
The arrangements provide additional benefits, notes Peters. The schoolyards often get more greenery and trees, and the increase in green space can help urban areas deal with the heat island effect that results from climate change.
FULL STORY: There’s a simple way to give 20 million Americans access to parks: Let them use school playgrounds
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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