Welcome to the Creative Playscape, a playground homage to the history of Georgetown, Texas, created through public participation and community collaboration. Halff Associates from Austin, Texas, provided the landscape architecture work to the Parks and Recreation Department for the city of Georgetown. Over the course of eight months, the playground was renovated from its original wooden structures to an updated playscape that walks through a history of the area. Five sections of the playground represent five different eras of history: pre-settlement, settlement, industrial, the surge, and the new millennium. The tiled columns that flank the entrance were salvaged from the original playground, while the sign panel and recycle timber entry sign are recreations of the original entryway signage.

In the spring of 2013, a design team consisting of the Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department, local consulting landscape architects, and play equipment experts were challenged to direct the creation of a new Creative Playscape to replace the original wooden structure in San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas. The original Creative Playscape was designed, funded and built by community volunteers in 1993, at which time the city's population was approximately 16,000. At that time, volunteers raised more than $140,000 for the playscape construction that was built in six days in an around-the-clock continuous build involving more than 800 community members. The playscape also incorporated art panels, created by community members, depicting key themes in Georgetown's history. Through their vision and determination a "signature destination" in central Texas was created.

Since the playscape's creation over 20 years ago, there have been substantial advancements in public accessibility standards, playground safety standards, and product materials. Due to these advancements, the original playscape was no longer in compliance with safety and accessibility standards. Additionally, certain types of treated wood are no longer allowed in a public playground setting. These factors along with its age were the primary factors in the creative playscape retirement.

To honor the agrarian lifestyle of the area's early settlers, a GFRC cow sits atop hay bales, providing a unique way to reach the play structure. Elsewhere nearby, a GFRC wagon wheel sculpture provides another place to climb.

An Homage to History
The goal of the new Creative Playscape design was to provide a fun, welcoming, and all-inclusive environment that creates opportunities for children of all abilities to play side by side. To accomplish this, the design team facilitated public participation workshops and meetings. Meetings with local groups that serve children with disabilities, community volunteers and their children who built the original playscape, a public open house and design workshop with city summer camp youth, and even an online survey provided invaluable historic, theming and recreation desires of the community to be incorporated into the new design.

Public input resulted in a creative themed play environment that pays tribute to Georgetown's past, recognizes its progression and celebrates its continued growth for the next generation. The new Creative Playscape consists of five themed play areas that form a historic timeline of Georgetown: pre-settlement (15,000 BC – 1700 AD); settlement (1700-1850); industrial period (1850 through the 1950s); the "surge," representative of strong growth in central Texas (1970-2014); and the new millennium (2014 to present), showcasing continued growth with emphasis on sustainable design and construction, water conservation, public safety, integration of technology, personal health, and quality of life. The final design concept was presented to the community, the Georgetown Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Georgetown City Council, with unanimous support to make the vision a reality.

As you enter the park, the pre-settlement period (15,000 BC – 1700 AD) is represented to the left by a 5' wide, 11' long, 8' high glass fiber reinforced concrete boulder climber. Early civilization is represented by a 6' tall GFRC teepee of the Tonkawa Indians, who followed the buffalo and camped along the San Gabriel River. The river is adjacent to the park. The tribe used the natural barriers of the water and the neighboring cliffs and hillsides for protection.

Working closely with the parks and recreation department staff, playground, signage and shelter consultants, the landscape architects were able to facilitate and fast-track the design, manufacturing of equipment and construction of all improvements within eight months to be open by Independence Day 2014.

The wood history wall and quilt from the original Creative Playscape were repurposed as non-play components and reside in their approximate location from the original playscape. Art panel paintings of the pre-settlement and settlement periods of Georgetown from the original Creative Playscape were photographed and through a collaborative effort, the artwork was integrated into deck and ramp safety rails.

The Creative Playscape play components were manufactured by GameTime. Working closely with key designers, the design team was able to come up with unique custom play equipment for each themed play area.

Continuing through the park, you reach the accessible Powerscape play structure (GameTime) representative of the settlement period (1700 – 1850). The blue triple slide represents the falls of the San Gabriel River; the vine climbers and wood shake shade roof represent the first saw and grist mills of the area. The murals decorating the side railings of the play structure are copies of panel paintings that were on the original wooden playscape. The panels were photographed, and thanks to iZone Imaging, the artwork was integrated on the upper deck between the recycled plastic timber slats.

Pre-settlement to Settlement (15,000 BC – 1850 AD)
The pre-settlement period (15,000 BC – 1700 AD) is highlighted through a glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GRFC) boulder and teepee climber. The climbing boulder is about 8' tall. The teepee is 6' tall, and represents the Tonkawa Indians, a nomadic tribe that followed buffalo herds and camped along the nearby San Gabriel River, usingd the hillsides and cliffs for protection.

The settlement period (1700-1850) is represented by an accessible PowerScape play system. The structure includes a triple slide to represent the San Gabriel River falls, and vine climbers and wood shake shade roof to represent the saw and gristmills of that time. To honor the agrarian lifestyle of early settlers, there is a GFRC cow, hay bales and wagon wheel sculpture climbers. The artwork from the original park stands between the recycled plastic timber slat railings of this structure.

The fa?????ades of industry provide play spaces for budding entrepreneurs to keep shop while hiding elements of play. Behind the Farmers State Bank, a spiral staircase leads to the upper level of the play structure. To the left, underneath the "1885" façade, a horizontal ladder provides an area for kids to swing from one façade to the other.

Industrial to the Surge (1850 – 2014)
The industrial period (1850-1950s) begins with an ICON shade structure and seating area representative of the historic downtown square and county courthouse. The perimeter walkway of this area is stamped with street names familiar to locals, as they are the streets that surround the historic square. The industrial era shows its playful side through the downtown façades and the custom railroad climber.

The façades provide a place for budding entrepreneurs to play at setting up shop, while hiding a horizontal ladder monkey bar and a spiral staircase leading to the second level of the play structure. The Georgetown Railroad train climber, next to the storefronts, is a custom piece that pays homage to the mining history of the city.

The industrial period (1850 – 1950s) is marked by a shade structure (ICON Shelter Systems) and seating area designed after Georgetown's historic downtown square and county courthouse. The sidewalk is stamped with the names of the streets that surround the square.

From 1970 – 2014, central Texas went through a surge of growth, defining this era as the "surge". It is represented by the tallest structures in the playground, especially the upper deck of the play structure. A large berm and chop quarry block resembling the hill country and cliffs serves as the accessible transition to the upper deck of the play structure. The walkway leads to a transfer platform and spiral staircase, which bring you to the uppermost point of the play structure. From this vantage point, there is a 360-degree view of the Creative Playscape. The two tunnel slides descend 12' from this tower to the ground below. The elevation represents the surge and speed in growth of the Georgetown area.

The railroad system is the icon of industrialization; naturally, in a play setting about industrialization, a train structure is a must. The custom Georgetown Railroad train climber, a reminder of the city's mining history, begins near the fa?????ade of a ticket booth, and progresses towards the boulder climber of the pre-settlement section, ending near the shade structure.

The New Millennium (2014 and Beyond)
The next generation of play, the new millennium, is represented by an Xscape play structure and Xscape swings. The swings include two tot swings and two zero-g swing chairs, which provide more stability than standard belt swings. The Tyke Town play structure includes a 5' slide, a narrow balance beam, an arched chain net, multiple climbing walls and more. The new era showcases the community's continued growth and emphasis on sustainability, integration of technology, personal health and unlimited opportunities for its citizens and the future.

Central Texas experienced strong growth from 1970 to 2014. This period is called the "surge." A large tower in the middle of the playscape is representative of the surge. From the top of the tower there is a 360-degree view of the play area. The two tunnel slides drop 12 feet, representing the speed of the growth of the Georgetown community.

Safety and visibility were major public concerns incorporated into the Creative Playscape design. The playground is encapsulated by a Design Master Milan fence to help ensure children's safety. The placement of play equipment and use areas around the shaded central town square allows parents a 360-degree view of the playground. All existing trees planted with the original Creative Playscape in 1993 were retained and protected onsite to provide instant shade once the playground opened.

The new Creative Playscape, from the time it opened in July 2014 to the present, is consistently inundated with children and adults of all ages and abilities, rain or shine. Through thoughtful planning, inclusion of the community in the design process and a collaborative effort of the design team with the city and various consultants and vendors, the Creative Playscape has accomplished the goal of honoring Georgetown's history while providing an accessible and imaginative play environment for the next generation of children.

A park that is an homage to history would be woefully incomplete without a nod to its own history. The wooden history wall pictured here is from the original Creative Playscape, and is in its approximate original location. The history wall has been repurposed and is no longer part of the play structure, but remains in the park as a part of the park's history.

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Team (Consultants/Contractors):
City of Georgetown, Texas –
Parks and Recreation Dept. (Owner)
Halff Associates (Brian Binkowski, Tim Bargainer, Brandy Hay - Landscape Architects, Austin, Texas)
GameTime (Play Equipment Supplier, Alabama)
Total Recreation Products
(Play Equipment Consultant, Texas)
iZone Imaging (Signage Consultant, Texas)
The PlayWell Group (Shelter Consultant, Texas)
Smith Contracting (General Site Contractor, Austin, Texas)

Materials/Vendors:
Play Equipment: GameTime
Signage: iZone Imaging
Shade Structure: ICON Shelter Systems
Designmaster Fencing System: DeAcero, USA

The new millennium, representative of 2014 and forward, brings the park full circle, as the Xscape structure faces the Pre-settlement area. The new era of play has multiple climbing walls, a balance beam, an arched chain net (where the child in orange is playing), and a "triton" (where the child in blue is playing), which serves as the central hub for the Tyke Town structure. Not shown in this picture are a 5' slide, a pod rocker, and additional climbing walls.