Living Playgrounds, an Atlanta-based company focused on designing and building nature play environments where children can thrive, announces the completion of its newest playground at Woodson Park Academy YMCA Early Learning Center in Grove Park.

The addition marks Living Playground’s second build for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. The first is located at the organization's headquarters on Atlanta’s Westside at the former site of the E.A. Ware School, one of the City’s first schools serving the African American community. Both playgrounds were created for the YMCA’s Early Learning Centers, the largest provider of early learning in Georgia.

As our cities become more and more densely populated, we must design spaces for play into them.

MODA’s exhibition, Designing Playful Cities, took visitors through interactive installations that presented a strong case for designing play into urban environments, encouraged visitors of all ages to engage in play in their day-to-day activities, and inspired designers and developers to create playful spaces in our cities, whether by designing proper playgrounds for children or by converting under-utilized spaces into fun and friendly places.

Curator: Janelle Miniter / Exhibition Advisor: Cynthia Gentry

Consumers no longer want shopping centers to be places just for quick trips to buy clothes or electronics. People of all ages now prefer spaces where they can enjoyably linger.

They want to shop, dine, and play.

As a master of what has become known as “experiential retail,” Birmingham, Alabama-based Bayer Properties knew its conversion of an old family farm in Lexington, Kentucky into a $156 million retail-centered mixed-use destination called The Summit at Fritz Farm needed a memorable, unique playground for kids. The playground had to reflect the local authenticity of the project.

There is a growing need for children’s play spaces in DC, but some think that playgrounds are unsightly and detract from public space. To address this, the Office of Planning (OP) is holding an international competition to design art-based play spaces for underserved neighbor­hoods.