CASE STUDY
INDEPENDENCE PARK VIDEO
Independence Park Incorporates Inclusive Play to Unite Their Community Within the Park Renovation
F E AT U R E D A R C H I T E C T : TA L L E Y L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T S
After several decades of serving the community, Independence Park in Pearland, Texas needed to undergo renovations and update equipment. The goal for the play area was to make the playground accessible for children of all abilities and to incorporate a structure that can fit more children so that every child can utilize this playground structure and play together. This is when Talley Landscape Architects teamed together with Kraftsman Commercial Playgrounds and Waterparks to design and create this fully accessible recycled playground area at Independence Park. “The features that were important to incorporate into this design was wheelchair accessibility,” Kraftsman Design Manager Charles Jackson said. “You can access all the way up to the 96 inch deck to go down the highest slide that is on the structure.” An inclusive playground has components that all children can access and explore. This playground has an inclined bridge that leads to the top so that the entire structure is fully accessible. Therefore, interacting and exploring is not limited for any child that wants to be a part of this playground experience. Pearland is a suburb of Houston, Texas and has the highest amount of residents with disabilities than any other area in the state. That is another reason why making this renovated playground fully accessible was a must.
Another key feature that the city of Pearland had in mind was to make this structure a recycled playground. Kraftsman worked with manufacturer Superior Recreational Products to develop an inclusive recycled playground that has a child capacity of up to 200. The decks, posts, and barriers on the recycled play structure are made from 100% post-consumer plastic products. “We opted for the recycled playground structure in our design because we wanted to give more of a nature play feel to our park while maintaining the durability that the recycled structure offers,” Talley Landscape Architects Project Designer Elizabeth Pratt said. The goal was to create a fully accessible commercial playground that included natural themes and a large child capacity. This was successfully accomplished by including several natural looking components and inclusive play elements. “We have a play structure where a wheelchair can go all the way to the top, we have a sandbox where [someone who uses a] wheelchair can roll up to the front and play with the other children, and we have a swing set where people can transfer from their wheelchair onto the swings,” Pratt said. On the Fourth of July in 2019, Independence Park hosted their grand reopening of the newly renovated park for its 43rd birthday. The ribbon cutting ceremony put residents in high spirits and the renovation has been happily serving the community since.
“We are very pleased with how this playground turned out. All of the children love it and it is a great addition to the park,” said Pratt.
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