Students Contribute to Park Design Process
As a class assignment, nearly 150 high school students shared their ideas for improvements to Sorensen Park in Lake Los Angeles, California.
February 16, 2021, 8am PST | clementkhlau |
In planning and designing new facilities, park and recreation agencies typically seek public input through a meeting or a series of meetings. However, such meetings may not be the most effective way to obtain input that reflects all segments of communities and their diverse viewpoints. Children (under 18 years of age), for example, are often underrepresented or not represented at all. This is certainly alarming but not entirely surprising, considering that the formal or rigid nature of most public meetings can intimidate and discourage kids of all ages from openly sharing their ideas and thoughts. Given that children are key park users and parks contribute significantly to their development and quality of life, we must be intentional and creative in how we engage them in the planning and design of parks, as explained in the article "Engaging Children in the Park Planning Process."