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Increasing Access to Greenspace

Atlanta Community Schoolyards

The Atlanta Community Schoolyards initiative's goal is to increase access to public land for kids, families, and communities by opening schoolyards in “park deserts” during non-school hours. 

Schoolyard visioning workshop at Kimberly Elementary.

Imagine you’re a kid living in a neighborhood without a park. Where do you go outside to safely meet friends and play?  

This challenge is faced not only by kids, but by many Atlantans, young and old alike.  According to The Trust for Public Land’s 2020 ParkScore index, nearly 28% of Atlantans do not live within walking distance of a public park or greenspace. That means approximately one-third of residents cannot access the important health benefits provided by parks and nature (including reduced stress, boosted mood, better sleep, and increased focus) close to home. 

But Park Pride believes that everyone deserves
to live within walking distance of a great park.  

So, we’ve joined The Trust for Public Land’s Atlanta Community Schoolyards initiative, a city-wide partnership along with Atlanta Public Schools and the Urban Land Institute, that is thinking creatively about our public land and how to make it more accessible to people’s homes. 

 

The Atlanta Community Schoolyards Initiative

The Atlanta Community Schoolyards initiative’s goal is to increase access to public land for kids, families, and communities by opening schoolyards in “park deserts” during non-school hours. 

Ten schools will participate over the course of three years. Each will receive about $100,000 of investment to update their schoolyards and turn them into vibrant and welcoming public spaces. 

 

Park Pride’s Role

Park Pride leads engagement efforts with students, teachers, and neighbors to identify neighborhood needs and ways to improve the schoolyard. Potential improvements include new benches, shade structures, water fountains, or community gardens, for example.  

 

Participating Schools

To date, six Atlanta Public Schools have participated in the Atlanta Community Schoolyards initiative. 

2019 Schoolyards 
Click the links below to view the conceptual schoolyard design, created by Park Pride and TPL with input from the community. Upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of 2020. *Note: The schoolyards’ final construction plans differ slightly from these conceptual designs.

2020 Schoolyards
Click the links below to view the conceptual schoolyard design, created by Park Pride and TPL with input from the community. Upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of 2021. *Note: The schoolyards’ final construction plans differ slightly from these conceptual designs.

2021 Schoolyards:
Click the links below to view the conceptual schoolyard design, created by Park Pride and TPL with input from the community. Upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of 2023. *Note: The schoolyards’ final construction plans differ slightly from these conceptual designs.

 

 

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