Reclaiming the Concrete Jungle: How New York City Is Nurturing Green Schoolyards for All
In the bustling heart of New York City, a remarkable transformation is underway. Across the five boroughs, a community-driven initiative is reclaiming urban schoolyards, converting them from vast expanses of asphalt into lush, green oases that provide much-needed relief from the “concrete jungle.” This innovative program, spearheaded by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), is not only beautifying school campuses but also tackling critical environmental and social challenges facing the city.
Addressing the Concrete Challenge
New York City, with its towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, has long been synonymous with the “concrete jungle.” However, this urban landscape has come at a cost. The abundance of impervious surfaces, such as pavement and buildings, has exacerbated the city’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, including extreme heat and flooding.
“Overall, New York City is over 70% impervious,” explains Melissa Enoch, assistant commissioner of the New York City Bureau of Environmental Planning. “That means we’ve paved over a lot of our land. We’ve developed it. We’re preventing stormwater from soaking into the ground like it used to before development.”
This concrete dominance has had far-reaching consequences. During heavy rain events, the lack of permeable surfaces leads to increased stormwater runoff, which can overwhelm the city’s drainage systems and result in devastating floods. Additionally, the urban heat island effect, where the built environment absorbs and retains heat, has contributed to rising temperatures, posing significant health risks, especially for vulnerable populations.
Transforming Schoolyards, Transforming Communities
Recognizing the urgent need to address these challenges, the Trust for Public Land and the City of New York joined forces in 2004 to create the Green Community Schoolyards project. The goal was simple yet ambitious: transform the city’s asphalt schoolyards into vibrant, green community spaces that can mitigate the impacts of climate change while providing much-needed recreational and social opportunities for residents.
“I grew up in New York City, and I played on an asphalt playground,” recalls Mary Alice Lee, director at TPL. “It was adjacent to a park, and I would stare through the chain-link fence thinking it’s not fair that we don’t get to enjoy the playground equipment, the trees, the shade.”
Lee’s personal experience echoes the reality faced by many New Yorkers, particularly those in underserved neighborhoods. The city’s public playgrounds are few and far between, with only 2.2 playgrounds per 10,000 residents, far below the national average of 3.1 playgrounds.
The Green Community Schoolyards project set out to address this inequity. By transforming these underutilized schoolyards into inviting green spaces, the program aimed to increase access to nature, recreation, and community engagement for all New Yorkers.
“I think every child deserves a place to play in,” Lee emphasizes. “But TPL’s program offers much more than recreational and community-building opportunities. In an urban landscape otherwise dominated by concrete, green schoolyards are also critical climate-resilient spaces to help mitigate the increasingly extreme heat and flooding impacting New York City.”
Designing for Climate Resilience
At the heart of the Green Community Schoolyards initiative is a focus on climate resilience. The project’s design and implementation process deliberately incorporate features that address the city’s pressing environmental challenges.
“When our kids got to see the construction process of the yard, they understood the importance of getting the water off the streets — and they felt like they were making a difference in our school environment,” shares Pascale Pradel, principal of P.S. 38K The Pacific School in Brooklyn.
Students actively participate in the design process, learning about the importance of stormwater management, native plant species, and green infrastructure. Guided by TPL and landscape architects, they co-create schoolyards that integrate rain gardens, permeable surfaces, and strategically placed trees to absorb and filter stormwater, reducing the risk of flooding.
“We had a lot of puddles in the yard when we had rainstorms,” Pradel explains. “But now, the new green infrastructure helps divert more than 1 million gallons of stormwater from each site every year, playing a crucial role in the city’s flood mitigation efforts.”
Beyond stormwater management, the schoolyards also address the urban heat island effect. The addition of lush greenery, including native trees and vegetation, provides much-needed shade and cooling, helping to lower temperatures in the surrounding neighborhoods.
“Witnessing the impact that TPL’s Green Community Schoolyards have had on students and broader communities, and the important benefits the spaces offer for climate resilience, it’s no wonder that the City of New York continues to champion the project,” says Enoch.
Fostering Community Ownership and Stewardship
The Green Community Schoolyards project takes a unique approach by actively engaging the local community in the design and stewardship of these transformed spaces. This participatory process is not only empowering, but it also instills a sense of ownership and long-term commitment to the success of these green havens.
“It’s a very heartwarming feeling,” reflects Alex, an eighth-grade student who has been involved in the project since sixth grade. “Knowing that when I’m an adult there will still be kids who get to play around in this yard, it’s a really cool idea.”
Beyond the students, the program also collaborates with local senior groups, sports clubs, cultural organizations, and other community stakeholders to ensure the schoolyards accommodate the diverse needs of the surrounding neighborhoods. By fostering this inclusive approach, the project ensures that the green spaces become true community hubs, where residents can gather, connect, and enjoy the benefits of nature.
“I love being able to be part of this project,” says Lee. “It’s so important to me that we’re creating these green spaces for New Yorkers … for people who might not have access to open space. They’re able to sit in the shade, they’re able to smell the flowers, and they’re able to have fun and relax.”
Scaling the Impact Nationwide
The success of the Green Community Schoolyards project in New York City has not gone unnoticed. The program’s model of transforming underutilized spaces, engaging communities, and addressing climate resilience has inspired similar initiatives in 15 other U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, Tacoma, and Oakland.
“The project’s relative simplicity — transforming empty asphalt lots into vibrant, green community spaces — makes this kind of intervention highly replicable and scalable,” explains Lee.
Recognizing the immense potential of this approach, TPL is working on a federal program to set aside $150 million per year for nationwide schoolyard renovations based on their proven model. This ambitious plan aims to extend the benefits of green, climate-resilient community spaces to even more communities across the country.
As the “concrete jungle” of New York City continues to evolve, the Green Community Schoolyards project stands as a shining example of how public-private partnerships, community engagement, and a focus on climate resilience can transform urban landscapes into vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive public spaces. By empowering students and residents to shape their own green environments, this program is not only improving the city’s resilience but also fostering a sense of pride and ownership within the communities it serves.
Unlocking the Potential of Schoolyards: A Replicable Model for Climate-Ready Communities
The Green Community Schoolyards project in New York City has demonstrated the immense potential of reclaiming underutilized schoolyards and transforming them into climate-resilient community hubs. This innovative program offers a replicable model that can be applied in cities and towns across the United States, helping to address the pressing challenges of urban heat, flooding, and lack of green space access.
A Data-Driven Approach to Site Selection
The key to the success of the Green Community Schoolyards project lies in its strategic, data-driven approach to site selection. By analyzing a range of factors, including climate risks, social vulnerability indicators, neighborhood income levels, and other social and environmental factors, the project team is able to identify the areas that stand to benefit the most from these transformative interventions.
“High-priority sites are selected based on climate risks, social vulnerability indicators, neighborhood income levels, and other social and climate factors,” explains the project’s website. “This data-driven approach aims to maximize both social and climate resilience benefits.”
Empowering Students and Communities
A hallmark of the Green Community Schoolyards model is the active engagement of students and the broader community in the design and stewardship of these green spaces. By involving children in the planning process, the project not only educates them on important environmental concepts but also fosters a sense of ownership and pride in their school’s transformation.
“Students are the primary designers of their own schoolyards, applying their learning on stormwater management concepts, such as rain gardens and permeable turf fields, into their designs,” the project website states.
This participatory approach extends beyond the student population, with the program also collaborating with local senior groups, sports clubs, cultural organizations, and other community stakeholders. By ensuring the spaces cater to the diverse needs of the surrounding neighborhoods, the project creates a true sense of community ownership and long-term stewardship.
Delivering Multifaceted Benefits
The Green Community Schoolyards project is not just about beautifying urban landscapes; it delivers a wide range of benefits that positively impact both the environment and the community.
Climate Resilience:
– Increased stormwater absorption and reduced flood risk through the integration of green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and permeable surfaces
– Cooling effects from the addition of trees and vegetation, mitigating the urban heat island
Community Health and Wellbeing:
– Increased access to green spaces and recreational opportunities, promoting physical activity and mental health
– Fostering community connections and social cohesion through shared use of the schoolyards
Educational Outcomes:
– Improved student attendance, behavior, and academic performance following schoolyard renovations
– Hands-on learning opportunities for students on environmental topics, such as stormwater management and native plant species
Scaling the Model Nationwide
The success of the Green Community Schoolyards project in New York City has inspired similar initiatives in 15 other U.S. cities, demonstrating the replicability and scalability of this model.
“The project’s relative simplicity — transforming empty asphalt lots into vibrant, green community spaces — makes this kind of intervention highly replicable and scalable,” says Mary Alice Lee, director at TPL.
Recognizing the broader impact this approach can have, the Trust for Public Land is now working on a federal program to set aside $150 million per year for nationwide schoolyard renovations based on their proven model. This ambitious plan aims to extend the benefits of green, climate-resilient community spaces to even more communities across the country.
By empowering students and residents to shape their own green environments, the Green Community Schoolyards project is not only improving urban resilience but also fostering a sense of pride and ownership within the communities it serves. As more cities and towns adopt this model, the impact on climate adaptation, public health, and educational outcomes has the potential to be truly transformative.
To learn more about the Joint Action for Water initiative and how you can get involved, please visit our website or reach out to our team.
