How NYC Converted Dozens of Schoolyards Into Community Playgrounds

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In 2007,  the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) became aware of a serious problem, the city lacked open spaces for kids to play.

Without safe places to play children, especially Latino kids, are more likely to be sedentary and less likely to get the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity they need to lead a healthy and active life.

According to a document from the New York City Global Partners, nearly 97 out of 188 city neighborhoods were overcrowded with more than 1,250 children per playground. If the lack of open spaces continued, it was projected that by 2030, 50 neighborhoods would have less than 1.5 acres per 1,000 people.

In order to manage the situation, partners from the DPR, the Department of Education (DOE), and the Trust for Public Land came together to see how they could convert schoolyards into public playgrounds. The idea aligned well with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s vision to see a park available within a 10 minute walking distance of every New Yorker.

To begin the process, areas in greatest need of a public park were identified by a geographic information system (GIS) mapping process. After identifying 290 schoolyards as potential locations for public parks, planners divided the sites into three different categories, including:

• Category I—schoolyard sites were in good condition and were ready to be immediately opened to the public.
• Category II—sites received $400,000 in renovations (sports equipment, paint, steet plants, etc.) before opening up to the public.
• Category III—sites received $1.2 million for renovations and repairs (category II repairs, new fencing and safety improvements.

As a result of this initiative, by 2013, 260 different sites across New York City had been converted into public playgrounds. Residents from Brooklyn and Queens—areas especially in need of open spaces—derived great benefit from this program and between 2007-2013 the number of New Yorkers who lived within a 10 minute walking distance to a park increased by over 500,000 people.

Read more about this change and about lessons learned during this process by clicking here.