Arroyo Verde Park Inclusive Playground
As part of Pacific Coast Land Design, we were approached to help the City of Ventura rebuild a playground that had been destroyed by the disastrous 2017 Thomas Fire. The fire swept through the hills north of Ventura, claiming hundreds of houses, structures, and part of Ventura’s iconic Arroyo Verde Park, including the 5-12 year old playground in the park. Literally out of the ashes, a movement in the City coalesced around the opportunity to replace this community amenity with a fully inclusive playground.
The process toward reaching a finalized design for the playground included intensive community outreach within the circles of affected and interested communities within Ventura. This outreach helped crystallize the design features provided but also served as an important catalyst in generating community support. This support has been vital in fundraising for the construction of the park.
The playground is scheduled for construction in late 2020 with hopes of opening early 2021 and will feature a myriad of play facilities, each designed to facilitate the different physical, sensory, and social capacities of inclusive play. Additionally, the playground is designed to utilize the park’s natural topography to assist with accessibility and a sense of place within the playground.