Harper’s Playground was founded by Cody and April Goldberg in 2010, to create a play space for their daughter, Harper, who uses wheels to get around
VANCOUVER — Vancouver Parks and Recreation, in partnership with Harper’s Playground, invite the public to attend an open house for Project Play: Marshall Park on Wed., June 26, to preview the vision for a fully-inclusive playground at Marshall Park.
Thanks to a $500,000 pledge from an anonymous donor, the project is currently 25 percent funded. The event will kick off a community-wide campaign to invest in Clark County children and families.
“We are eager to share these exciting plans with the community,” said Parks and Recreation Director Julie Hannon. “We are committed to making Vancouver parks welcoming spaces where people of all ages and abilities can build connections with neighbors and nature. Creating fully-inclusive play spaces with the support of Harper’s Playground is an important step toward a more equitable Vancouver.”
Event Details:
Date/Time: June 26, 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Marshall Park, 1015 E. McLoughlin Blvd.
- This event is free and will include refreshments and interactive art stations where people of all ages and abilities can share their dreams for the future of the playground
- Preview architectural renderings and pictures of materials and equipment
- Provide feedback on the current plan and help dream up new ideas to add to the vision
- Discover how to support this project and help create a more welcoming and equitable Vancouver
- Presenters include: Julie Hannon, Vancouver parks and recreation director; G Cody QJ Goldberg, Harper’s Playground executive director; Holly Williams, Vancouver parks and recreation advisory commission chair and Terry Snyder, Vancouver parks and recreation landscape architect
The most recent U.S Census data shows that one in five Americans has a disability. Even when playgrounds incorporate ramps, barrier-free travel routes and accessible play options, these modifications do not create a truly inclusive and welcoming space where people of all ages and abilities can play together and thrive. The new Marshall Park playground is being designed using the Harper’s Playground “radically inclusive” model, which is proven to inspire all visitors to play, including accessibility for caregivers and a strong connection to nature.
Harper’s Playground was founded by Cody and April Goldberg in 2010, to create a play space for their daughter, Harper, who uses wheels to get around. “We are designing the Marshall Park playground to be accessible and adaptive so that the space is physically inviting; we are highlighting nature so that it’s socially inviting; and we are being creative with artistic details so that the playground is emotionally inviting,” explains Cody Goldberg. “We are thrilled with the collaborative nature of the partnership we have with Vancouver Parks and Recreation and thus far the community support for our shared vision has been outstanding too.”
Learn more about this event and the future vision for Marshall Park playground at www.cityofvancouver.us/projectplay
Information provided by city of Vancouver.
