The City of South San Francisco's new civic center and campus is part of a series of initiatives to revitalize the region and provide the community with enhanced resources and amenities. Many residents in the area rely upon city-sponsored facilities, programs, and services for support, education, wellness, recreation, and connection. This iconic new campus establishes a new community core of multi-functional, interactive spaces that reinforce the City's commitment to being a great place to live, work, learn, and play. The community park serves as the front door to the newly combined Civic Center and Library as well as the Parks & Recreation building, and works in concert with building programs to welcome visitors to a unique community experience.

 
Play and social interaction are fundamental to fostering a child's physical, cognitive, communicative, social, emotional, and sensory development. The new, 1.3-acre community park included in this project provides new and improved trails, biking and running paths, and an activity-rich playground that offers children, families, and caregivers a multitude of opportunities to connect. Key design considerations for the park and playground were derived from a series of 80+ community outreach activities spanning three years. During these sessions, it was evident that South San Francisco was in desperate need of programmable, multi-purpose outdoor spaces that were inclusive and accessible to all.
Inspired by nature, the vibrant playground was designed to maximize uses and play experiences within a relatively small area. It was also important that the design solution balance adventurous structures with opportunities for passive, interactive, and inclusive play. The 9,000-square-foot playground comprises three separate zones for children ages 6-24 months, 2-5 years, and 5-12 years, each group containing children of varying energy levels. The versatility in layout, flow, and amenities creates an inviting, neurodiverse environment where users of all ages, abilities, and strengths feel safe, welcome, and comfortable. For instance, children seeking active play can choose to explore the swings, slides, or multi-purpose climbing structure while those who favor passive or imaginative play may opt to meander along pathways or gravitate towards calmer, less sensory-rich elements.
Central to the playground's design is a multi-functional synthetic turf field for casual unstructured play, group fitness classes, outdoor movie nights, and more. For visitors in need of downtime between play sessions, nearby garden areas outfitted with seating and gentle berms balance out the playground's high-activity zones and provide additional opportunities for quiet play, sensory development, and social interaction. Within these safe spaces, wildflowers, perennials, native grasses, and plantings soften the look and feel of the space, create shade, and increase local biodiversity in addition to supporting butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial flora and fauna.
This project closes a previously existing gap in Centennial Way Trail - a critical multi-modal infrastructure element frequently utilized by residents in and around South San Francisco. The completion of the trail extends popular biking and running paths, increases walkability to the campus, and adds two fitness stations geared towards the community's large senior citizen population.
Durability, playability, accessibility, and safety were top priorities for the team. When designing and assessing materials and critical building components such as surfaces, ground coverings, fencing, seating, shading structures, and more, the team took special care to incorporate sustainable products and equipment that achieved functional requirements and enhanced the visual appeal of the spaces. The result is an accessible and inclusive park and play environment that provides equitable and meaningful experiences for as many users as possible.