Stepping into the schoolyard at the Adolph S. Ochs public school in Manhattan’s bustling Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, you’re greeted by a canopy of trees. Painted sea turtles and birds adorn the pavement. Summer school kids run along the track encircling the green turf field, tossing balls back and forth. Other kids shoot hoops or decompress in the shade. After walking down nearby Ninth Avenue in the blistering heat, one finds it noticeably cooler here.

This schoolyard wasn’t always like this. Eleven years ago, it resembled many other city playgrounds: an open, unshaded expanse of black asphalt.

Now, it’s among 420 schoolyards across 26 states that the nonprofit Trust for Public Land says it is helping to transform from barren blacktop into welcoming oases for schoolchildren and local residents.

In late July, TPL hosted a two-day summit in New York City, bringing together school district leaders, landscape architects and environmental advocates from across the country to learn more about reinvigorating schoolyards. Keynote speakers extolled the benefits of nature-based play and keeping schoolyards open to the public when school isn’t in session.

A core part of TPL’s mission is ensuring that everyone in the country has access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of their home.

Reinventing schoolyards starts with a thoughtfully rendered design. Students at a participating school survey classmates to learn more about their favorite park features and what their schoolyard really needs. From there, they work alongside landscape architects to help shape the design. Administrators, custodians, recess monitors and afterschool caretakers also take part.

“The users are the designers,” said Mary Alice Lee, who directs TPL’s NYC Playgrounds Program.

Designs include the classic staples — basketball hoops and jungle gyms — but reimagined: drab courts are repainted with colorful geometric designs. Structures include features inspired by natural elements, like artificial climbing boulders and tree stumps. Playful mosaics and murals grace building walls, giving life to once lackluster schoolyards.

Read the full article about turning school playgrounds into urban green spaces by A. Felix at The Hechinger Report.