In the heart of southern Philadelphia at the end of the line on S Broad Street, lies the new Anna C. Verna Playground at FDR Park, which was designed by local landscape architecture firm WRT. Named for the first and only woman to serve as president of the Philadelphia City Council, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 90, this area is well known for its wetland and grassy plains that stretch over 350 acres. The Anna C. Verna Playground takes up three acres of this park and is located in a tidal basin.
As a bird habitat and known migration wetland area, the developers chose to pay tribute to this natural habitat by creating completely unique bird houses that serve as a focal point to the project. According to the City of Philadelphia, there have been over 200 bird species documented within this park. With the mixture of wetlands, ponds, and lagoons, it is considered the third largest bird spotting location in all of Philadelphia.
In response to frequent flooding, the park has been elevated two feet and surfaced with carbon negative permeable cork, effectively raising the playground out of the flood plain. The high visibility success of this initiative drew Prince Albert of Monaco to visit the park as he looks for more innovative solutions for his climate control foundation. The Commissioner of Parks, Kathryn Ott Lovell, was automatically drawn to the completely customized bird house concept and was the driving force behind this destination play space.
"We wanted to be able to have that balance of height with the nets to get us up into the tree canopy and be up there with the birds. And we wanted to celebrate the trees by bringing in real tree structures," explained Meghan Talarowski, founder and executive director of Studio Ludo, a non-profit organization who consulted on the playground design that combines elements of metal, netting, and trees that have been there for one hundred plus years.

 
Three customized towers make up the bird houses, with each tower bringing a different measure of risk-taking to accommodate all age groups and abilities. One tower boasts optic heights of 30 feet, with wider cells so adventurers of all ages (including adults) can challenge themselves. The second tower, with its lower profile and narrower netting, creates a space for smaller climbers to explore. A third structure adds specific transfer methods to ensure that the experience is accessible and creates an equitable play opportunity.
The playground's centerpiece, the Megaswing, measures at 120-feet long and is considered North America's largest continuous swing set. It offers 20 swing bays with varied seat types ranging from toddler seats, standard swing seats, ADA accessible seats with straps, nest seats, and the biggest hit of all, the VIP swing.
Placed in an area of land that curves around Pattison Lagoon, there isn't a bad spot in the circle. "The swing has been an idea for a while and worked out perfectly for this park. With the way the inland curves into the lagoon, there is always a special seat where you can see the lagoon and watch the different species of birds, especially since it is right at water level," Talarowski said.
If you would prefer to keep your feet closer to the earth, the park also incorporates some unique ground level features. The Picolino Bamboo Spinner, meant for smaller bodies, allows for an individual to hop on and spin at a tilt. There is also an Access Whirl that safely cocoons the user in its net so that anyone using it can feel secure while spinning in circles. Embankment slides throughout allow users that are not ready for the big climb experience the rush of wind in their hair.
Initiated in 2020, the Anna C. Verna Park required two years of planning before the start of construction, and it was completed in Fall 2023.
"The thrill is what people are looking for, novel, super tall and provides the 'woo sensation,'" Talarowski said.

Team:
Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment Corporation
SPEC
Landscape Architects: WRT
Design Team: Studio Ludo