Let’s Talk Pocket Parks! Tips for Designing Playgrounds in Small Spaces
A typical playground or park space usually conjures images of large play structures in large, grassy green spaces where children can run and play and enjoy time outside in the fresh air. Pocket parks, in comparison, are a typical park or playground's bite-sized cousin. But designing a pocket park comes with its own unique set of challenges. Smaller spaces and budgets can limit options for playground features and other amenities, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still design and create a fantastic park space for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.
With the right playground design, a small space can become a bustling hub of play and fun that can positively impact not only the people who use it, but also the neighbourhood around it.
More play! Tips to maximize play value
Often dotted throughout urban centres, pocket parks look to maximize the play value of a small space, usually surrounded by commercial buildings or houses on small lots. They provide open, inviting spaces for the surrounding community members to enjoy, and are incredibly valuable in larger urban areas. With careful design consideration and creative planning, you can really maximize the play value of a pocket park by choosing features that offer several different kinds of play, whether it be for a playground or a splash pad. This engages kids of all ages and abilities, bolstering a pocket park’s impact and making it a space people will return to.
And they don’t just create awesome play opportunities for kids! Pocket parks come with their own list of benefits for both the surrounding community and the environment. Communities thrive on communal gathering spaces that foster connections, and pocket parks do just that. They provide play spaces that allow children to interact with one another, engaging in healthy, social play. Environmentally, the addition of green space to urban centres helps to improve biodiversity, air quality, and contributes to urban cooling.
Small but mighty: designing for small spaces
When it comes to designing pocket parks, there are a few key factors to consider. First, as these parks usually have limited parking, they should be accessible both on foot and by bike. They should strive to accommodate as many different users as possible, so maximizing play value is critical. Choosing multi-function play equipment is a great way to maximize play value while working within the confines of a small space. Examples of multi-use play features include:
- Vertical climbing towers that let you build UP
- Sensory play panels with interactive elements
- Features that can double as both play elements and seating
- Accessible and inclusive play features with open sightlines
Parkworks believes in creating fun spaces that will keep users coming back time and time again. Parkworks partners with amazing manufacturers who provide the best play features that can help a pocket park make a huge impact. By leveraging experts who know both landscape and playground design inside-and-out, they can create incredible play spaces that pack a big punch.
“Choosing play features that are multi-occupancy helps to maximize the number of children that can play in a park at any given time and creating open sightlines for safe and barrier-free play,” says Parkworks Design Lead, Desiree Bunn. “One of the biggest struggles that pocket parks face is the lack of repeat users, so creating traditional play experiences with epic points of interest helps keep people coming back for more. If you’ve got a small footprint, look at building up!”
Keeping accessibility and inclusiveness in mind helps to design pocket parks and playgrounds that will cater to everyone, while integrating nature and other natural elements into otherwise unnatural urban environments helps with sustainability.
Ready to build an epic pocket park?
So, you want to build a pocket park? Great! You’ve come to the right place! Parkworks can help you at every stage of the process, whether you’re just starting to secure funding and engage your community or are ready to hit the ground running. If you’re just starting to explore the idea of a pocket park, it’s important to first understand the needs of your community. Are they looking to maximize play space for kids to run around and have fun? Do they want to create a green space where people can enjoy a breath of fresh air on their lunch break? Understanding what your community needs is necessary to ensure that you can meet those needs while also making the most of a small space.
Funding for a pocket park can come from many different sources, whether it be a community fundraising initiative, local sponsorships, or municipal grants. Collaborating with local businesses and governments can help give you the support and leverage you need to generate excitement around a new pocket park and get people engaged with the project. Making sure that you understand any limitations or conflicts that may arise throughout the project can help set realistic goals and timelines for those both working on the pocket park and excited to utilize the finished space.
Get inspired!
Pocket parks are small but mighty, so don’t be afraid to let your imagination and creativity run wild! From rooftop patio play spaces to courtyard playgrounds, taking the time to choose the right features and play elements can help ensure a pocket park’s success.
Parkworks has loads of experience with creating parks and playgrounds in small spaces, whether that be in urban centres or schools. The playground at Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary in Langley, BC needed to be a unique and fun play space while staying within a tight budget and an even tighter space. The Parkworks team rose to the challenge and turned it into an opportunity, utilizing a vertical climbing structure and vertical spinners to create loads of play value for kids wanting to play and challenge their abilities.
Splash pads also create epic pocket parks with the bonus of doubling as a cooling zone during the hot summer months. Just one or two spray features can pack a punch in a small space and provide endless hours of fun for kids and parents alike. Parkworks’ splashiest partner, Waterplay offers low-flow options that are great for spaces where sustainability is a focus, and several small features such as ground sprays or surf stones that can help round out a pocket pack.
Pocket parks prove that even the smallest of spaces can bring joy, foster connections, and encourage play. With a smart design that maximizes the play value of the space and includes accessible, inclusive features, a small-space playground can become the jewel of a neighbourhood and provide endless hours of fun.