Possibility Playground in Dogwood Park - North Canton, Ohio
Possibility Playground is the first newly developed playground for the City of North Canton in over 20 years! It is a thoughtfully executed, fully inclusive, accessible-to-all, play space that has been an exciting destination for children of all ages and abilities. This project had its roots in a phone call from a resident in 2017, asking if the city had any accessible play equipment for their special needs child who was wheelchair bound. City staff realized they only had one accessible swing in one of the nine parks. Also, all parks had wood mulch surfacing, so none were accessible to individuals utilizing mobility devices such as canes, crutches or wheelchairs. Another issue that had been identified was the that no parks were fenced in for safety. This caused the city to begin the process of planning for an all-access playground.

The play space is named "Possibility Playground" to promote the possibility of true inclusive play for children with special needs. It shows that it is possible for children with special needs to have full access and play alongside their non-disabled peers. It bridged the gap that existed in not having an outdoor play space with an accessible surface, a variety of equipment mixed throughout, and a fence for safety. It also did much more for the community. It restored hope and brought excitement to previously stalled park development in the community.

 
The beautiful new play space is centrally located in an area formerly used as a natural ice-skating rink, until 1981. The area had become unusable and was surrounded by beautiful shade trees. The 12,500 sq. ft. project was designed by Brandstetter Carroll Inc., constructed by A. Altman Co., and the equipment was supplied by BCI Burke through their local representatives - Snider Recreation. Parking was expanded, new restroom facility added, and the local library built the community's first story-walk path. Opening day was April 23, 2022 and there has experienced high attendance every day since.

The project was funded through a variety of sources, including: ODNR NatureWorks Grant, Ohio State Capital Funds, Hoover Foundation grant, Go Fund Me Page started by a donor in honor of his wife who worked with special needs children, City funds, private donations, the North Canton Public Library for the Story Walk, an American Electric Power Sustainability Grant, and a donation of land from the Masonic Lodge to allow for more parking and a picnic shelter.

The project received the 13th Annual Governors Award for Parks and Recreation presented by the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association at their 2023 Annual Conference, basically a Best of Show from all of the award recipients in several categories of projects, programs, and events.



The upcoming Playgrounds Issue of Landscape Architect and Specifier News saw many firms submit their projects for feature consideration. This project was not chosen for a Feature in the issue, but we at LandscapeArchitect.com thought the project deserved to be showcased online . . .

To have your project featured in LASN or on LandscapeArchitect.com please email aschmok@landscapearchitect.com

For more information about submitting a project, go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/research/editorial/editorial-submissions.php