Partnering for Parks: Stroud Playground

January 5, 2015

The Prospect Park Alliance will provide pro-bono design work for the renovation of Stroud Playground in neighboring Crown Heights. The project reflects the Alliance’s commitment to increasing the accessibility and quality of urban parks, and enhancing open space. It is part of the City’s newly launched Community Parks Initiative, which will invest $130 million to fully renovate 35 parks in areas with the greatest need.

“The redesign of Stroud Playground is really an extension of our mission,” said Alliance President and Park Administrator Sue Donoghue. “We have decades of experience designing and building innovative and award-winning playgrounds in Prospect Park—from Imagination and Harmony Playgrounds, to Vanderbilt Playground and the Zucker Natural Exploration Area. The chance to share our expertise, and improve recreational opportunities for neighboring communities is an important park of our work.”

To kick off the project, the Alliance Design and Construction team, led by the Alliance’s chief landscape architect Christian Zimmerman, participated in a community forum on December 8, where they sparked ideas for how the playground could be improved—from water features, new play equipment and athletic courts, to raised garden beds and nature play areas.

In addition to the investment of design resources, the Alliance will also help foster stewardship by helping the community build its capacity to program, care and advocate for Stroud Playground. The Community Parks Initiative is also receiving support from the City Council to increase funding for gardeners, maintenance workers, and critical operating support to sustain the capital investment in the 35 parks that are part of the program.