Inclusive playgrounds are places where everyone, regardless of abilities and needs, can interact and have fun. “Inclusive” spaces use a set of universal design principles that create play structures, pathways, seating, equipment and other amenities for equitable participation. They can be designed to support mobility limitations, cater to the visually impaired or for someone who has autism; in short: they’re meant to be for as many people as possible in as many ways possible.

In an inclusive playground, children, families and caretakers can play together in the same space, regardless of ability, needs, age, gender, culture, or race.

A couple years ago, Calgary Parks presented the Inclusive Play Spaces Implementation Plan to City Council. The goal was to begin planning inclusive playgrounds in our city, to support the importance of including everyone in play and recreation opportunities.

The City’s Implementation report outlined the current state of our inclusive playground assets, the importance of inclusion in playground design, and Parks’ goals toward this end.

Sites for the new inclusive playgrounds were chosen throughout the city, to give equal access to as many people as possible, with the intent of potentially refining the list through community engagement.

Potential locations were identified based on specific factors including:

• If the site was large enough to accommodate the space needed for this type of playground,
• Parking accessibility, closeness to a major transit route, and accessibility to the playground itself from parking/transit locations,
• Closely located, publicly accessible building with washrooms,
• New or future Regional sites with good catchment

This type of playground is more complex to plan and build, and costs more than basic play equipment. Our initial plan was expected to span past the 2019 -2022 budget cycle.

But we have recently received funding that has enabled us to move forward with this plan far sooner than anticipated. This funding however, comes with the stipulation that it must be spent in 2021, so we are accelerating these project timelines in a significant way. While it is great news to be able to fast-track these builds, this shortened timeline will also shorten community consultation timelines.

Our goal is to provide the best possible engagement opportunities within our 2021 construction deadline- to ensure Calgarians get a chance to have their say-- and play-- on their new, inclusive playgrounds in our city.