Community playgrounds are some of the best ways to get kids and caregivers engaged with each other and nature. They can bring people together from all across a city and even a county in a naturally calming space filled with opportunities for adventure. The problem is that many cities across the country simply don’t have the budget to create sprawling destination parks. But these community playgrounds don’t have to be over the top and super expensive. Here’s how to plan and fund your space:
Define Your Budget
Before you can manage your budget, you have to define it. Without a firm budget in place, costs can grow out of control quickly, and the members of your community will come knocking at your door. You also want to make sure your budget makes sense. Don’t plan for a super small budget, knowing that it’s nowhere near what you’ll need to cover the expenses of your planned park.
The best thing you can do before you get started is hold a town hall or two to bring together all interested and affected parties. Reach out to local residents on your city’s Facebook page, walk into local businesses, and include all city planning departments. Then, discuss funds, park necessities, and what your non-negotiables are. Ask for ideas for both materials and funding. From there, you should have a good sense of what you’ll need and how much you can spend.
Think Long-Term
It might feel like a smart idea to buy cheap equipment or cut corners when it comes to landscaping or extra features. You may also be considering trying to squeeze your park into a smaller space or having sparse surroundings in order to save money. The problem with thinking only in the short term like this is that you may end up with a park no one wants to visit. At best, you might get some interest in the beginning, but your playground will quickly lose favor and go unused, another example of community blight.
When you think long-term, you can find creative ways to utilize your budget that allow for ongoing beautification. For example, you can plant young, fast growing trees that are less expensive now but will enhance the nature of your park for years to come. You can also find a manufacturer who works with recycled or sustainable materials that are easier on the budget and last much longer than newer, cheaper materials. Commercial swing sets, slides, and platforms don’t have to take a huge chunk out of your budget.
Choose Cost-Effective Materials
Still, materials will be a large part of your budget, and if done right, they can be both cost effective and last a long time, with little maintenance requirements. There are also a ton of structures, slides, and swings that will fall apart, crack, and even cause injury, potentially creating even more problems in the future. Remember, cost-effective doesn’t mean cheap. It means it will pay off for you in the long run.
To find the best materials for your community playground on a budget, look for manufacturers who work with recycled materials, design with sustainability in mind, and create equipment that’s easy to install but will last a long time. This means they won’t disrupt the ecosystem, and they can be installed quickly and efficiently, saving you money in both equipment and labor. The right materials will also save you in long-term maintenance because they don’t crack and break easily.
Leverage Community Engagement
It’s more important than ever to remember that community parks are not the responsibility of Parks and Rec departments alone. City departments serve the city, and the people of the city are also responsible for serving their community. This means that you can and should leverage community engagement when it comes to making big decisions about new parks, empty lots, and conservation or development efforts.
From your community, you can recruit volunteer labor and get in touch with local businesses that offer construction or contracting services at a discount. Also, consider holding fundraising events at a community hall to help increase your budget efforts. Large business owners in your community may well understand that their contributions to your playground benefit their families and the families of their employees. A fundraiser is a great time to remind them if they don’t.
Allow for Phased Upgrades
While it’s important to think long-term, it’s also critical that you realize you don’t have to have it all figured out right now. One big mistake when it comes to city planning is trying to do too much all at once. This approach is both costly and inefficient. Parks planned with big scopes in mind often take forever to actually open to the public. The bigger the project, the more delays you’ll run into as well.
Instead, you can designate a larger lot but only develop a small section of it for the first phase of playground development. Install one small play area with graduated challenges and accessibility for kids of all ages. Surround it with a pretty pathway, native plants, and perhaps a small sand and water feature. The rest of the lot can, for now, simply hold wild grass and other ground cover, for a pretty, open space kids and adults can wander into for a picnic or game of frisbee. You can build on that space as you add funds to your budget.
In the end, a gorgeous community playground doesn’t have to break the bank… or the community coffers. It can serve your citizens with sustainable materials and young plants until you can afford to expand on the features. Work with local businesses to raise funds, get materials, and recruit volunteer labor. Get community input on your budget and your non-negotiables. And remember to think long-term. You’re planting trees for future generations to sit under.
