With its inclusive playground and splashpad, landscape architecture firm G Brown Design of Murray, Utah, designed Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation's Magna Regional Park as a new destination park in an underserved area of northwest Salt Lake County, Utah. The playground and splashpad minimizes the stigma of accessibility by creating a play environment where those of all ages and abilities can interact, play, and develop, while providing comfortable, interactive spaces for caregivers. Furthermore, Magna's industrial heritage is celebrated through art, design, and materials. The park also provides value to residents through enhancing the sense of community, connectivity, and increasing opportunities for play. The landscape architect-led team master-planned the 63-acre park and provided construction documents and construction period services for the first 28-acre phase completed in 2021, which includes the two-acre inclusive playground and splashpad.
G Brown Design engaged the public through community open houses and a steering committee to obtain key design feedback. Through their efforts, the team decided to use products and materials selected for the park that celebrate Magna's rich industrial heritage of mining and manufacturing. The playground and splashpad displays this industrial theme with an abstract art sculpture and kinetic wind sculptures, along with decorative and play elements that represent concrete columns, I-beams, and stainless-steel pipes. These elements and materials are repeated throughout the park creating a distinct sense of place, tied to the local communities' roots.

The inclusive playground and splashpad, which are the heart of the park, provide opportunities for all to interact, play, and socialize without being isolated or singled out. The playground design is particularly noteworthy as it addresses the needs of users with a broad range of physical, social, emotional, communicative, sensory, and cognitive abilities. It also addresses both physical access (how users access various parts of the playground and splashpad) and social access (how users can play in each part of the playground). Often, playgrounds limit children's opportunities for activity and interaction, but this playground demonstrates how social barriers can be eliminated by creating an environment where individuals of all abilities can interact and play side-by-side.

A common obstacle of designing playgrounds is programming for equipment, not activities and experiences, therefore, one of the first tasks of the design process was to create a "Play Activity Matrix" to assist with developing a design that addresses the Landscape Architect's 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design and the wide range of developmental needs of children.

How the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design were incorporated:
Be Fair - This principle focuses on minimizing kids being singled out by allowing all to be part of the action. Opportunities are provided for cooperative play by carefully selecting equipment that encourages interaction and group play. These include a wide embankment slide, spinners, basket swing, expression swing, side-by-side zip lines, and interactive water play elements.

Be Included - By providing a wide variety of activity choices, such as various types and forms of play, including physical, social, sensory, dramatic, autonomous, cooperative, and parallel play, the playground ensures that all users feel included. All major activities in the playground have an option that can be used side-by-side by people of all abilities: the zip lines, wide embankment slides with accessible path and transfer station, globe spinner with options to sit inside, hang off the edge, or climb and spin from the very top. The design provides a variety of opportunities for children of all abilities to be included and encourages full participation in play.

 

Be Smart - The playground is simple and intuitive, incorporating strategic use of colors, patterns, and textures to provide behavioral cues that define active versus passive play areas. The design defines active use zones using grade change and differing materials.
Be Independent - Strategic design established opportunities for children to explore, interact and participate independently throughout the playground. A variety of experiences engage the senses including musical play, textured surfacing, and natural elements such as the sand area and boulders, plant materials, and water. The "Headwaters" waterfall is the center of the splashpad and allows users to pass through while staying dry. The splashpad features a custom runnel boat racer, custom stone interactive water feature, sound sprays, a zero-depth weeping wall for young children, and a stone column water cannon zone. These features are organized along a central stream providing interaction with water in a variety of ways.

Be Safe - Emotional well-being or "Social Safety" of children was another major design consideration. Children that feel emotionally secure are more likely to engage in play. The design includes "Cozy Spots" which are quiet and enclosed spaces where users can escape overstimulation, which is particularly important for individuals on the autism spectrum. These spots can be found under decks, at strategically placed seating, and the Cozy Cocoon or Cozy Dome, which are nest-like pods within the playground where one can retreat and decompress.

Be Active - The playground includes a variety of active opportunities including climbing, swinging, sliding, and multiple spinning options while providing a variety of activity types addressing aspects of inclusive play including dramatic (make-believe) and exploratory play. The needs of users across the developmental continuum are considered by providing variety and graduated levels of challenge with a focus on collaborative, sensory, and unstructured play.

Be Comfortable - Comfortable spaces were included throughout the playground, allowing users to relax and enjoy the space. Layout and spatial relationships were carefully considered to provide adequate space, create shade, and locate restrooms adjacent to the splashpad and playground. The playground and splashpad elements accommodate children of differing heights and abilities, including "dry zones" within the splashpad that allow interaction with water without getting wet.

The popularity of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation's Magna Regional Park illustrates the great need for quality open spaces and play areas. It also demonstrates the important benefit Landscape Architects provide within our communities. It will serve as an inclusive environment where those of all ages and abilities can interact and play for years to come.

PRIME CONSULTANT:
G Brown Design, Inc.
Mathew Winward, Managing Principal
SUB-CONSULTANTS:
Keith Christensen (Inclusive Play Consultant)
Range Architecture (Architect)
Water Design, Inc. (Splashpad)
Perigee Consulting (Civil/Survey)
Envision Engineering (Electrical/Lighting)
Hales Engineering (Traffic Study)
Key Contractors:
S&L, Inc. (General Contractor)
CEM AQUATICS (SPLASHPAD SUB-CONTRACTOR)