Danehy Park Universal Design Playground by Weston & Sampson

Located in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, within Danehy Park, an approximately 50-acre public park, the 0.75-acre Danehy Park Universal Design Playground was the first playground in Cambridge designed and constructed to fully incorporate Universal Design principles- the concept that all elements should be maximally usable by everyone, without adaptations or specialized design. Universal Design ensures accessibility by addressing physical, sensory, cognitive, and emotional needs, creating a space welcoming to all.

Danehy Park was historically owned and operated by the New England Brick Company in the late 19th to early 20th centuries as a clay mine. The clay was extracted and used in the manufacture of bricks. The clay pit was excavated to depths of up to 50 feet before it was nearly exhausted during WWII. In 1946, the City purchased the mine and used the pit as a municipal landfill until the mid-1980s. While the surrounding Danehy Park had been improved over the years, this portion of the landfill remained untouched and underutilized as a grass field. This unique site history was incorporated into and inspired many of the playground elements.

The Danehy Park Universal Design Playground addresses the needs of both caretakers and users, integrating features that are attractive for users of all abilities. The project team worked closely and met regularly with a focus group of parents and other stakeholders. This feedback was integral in informing the design process and development of design solutions that would best benefit the community and users.

Another distinctive aspect of the design included partnerships with the local arts community. Paintings by a prolific local artist with autism enliven the playground’s walls and the interior of a play structure. A play tunnel inspired by the pipes running under Danehy Park, was created by middle and high school students at an innovative local school that focuses on the development of its students’ design skills. And finally, a local artist was engaged to collaborate on the structure design for the playground’s Sensory Hilltop. These collaborative efforts and art installations further highlight the playground’s commitment to the community and inclusivity.

The playground boasts a comprehensive design that strives to consider all users’ experiences through the encouragement of play and accessibility for all ages, abilities (physical, social, cognitive), and sensory needs. Playground elements include sensory/nature play features; a natural sloped area to engage and encourage unstructured play; accessible pedestrian circulation throughout; a splash pad area; active play areas for children ages 2-12 while accommodating physical, sensory, and social needs; gathering and hang-out areas to serve desires for both social interactions and moments of refuge; and elements that offer a balance of sun and shade.

Interactive play features include a Swing Zone, Spin Zone, Climbing Slope, and a multi-age splash pad with seating for caregivers. The Junior and Senior Play Areas reflect details of the park’s history as the former New England Brick Company, via a train-shaped play structure and a tower inspired by a kiln used for brick-firing once active at Danehy.

The Sensory Walk Zone features a pathway designed with bands of crushed stone, concrete, and granite pavers. Whether walking or using a mobility device, users will experience tactile and auditory responses from the changing textures. A small music area also produces rain and chime sounds. Plantings on either side of the pathway engage seasonal senses of smell, sight, and touch.

Sustainability was also a priority in the overall design. Natural and recycled materials were incorporated into the design to the extent practicable, and over 60 new trees were planted. A robust planting plan incorporating native species was developed in conjunction with low-impact-development stormwater features.

Given the site’s history, the playground design needed to accommodate for the landfill cap and associated environmental permitting, monitoring, and safety requirements. Subsurface explorations and extensive structural and geotechnical engineering solutions were performed to address issues of settlement, landfill gas collection and monitoring, and protection of the landfill cap.

Creative site grading was critical to address accessibility, stormwater management, and retention of a minimum coverage over the existing landfill cap. The site’s existing topography provided an opportunity to meander pedestrian circulation and create unique play opportunities at varying heights.

Danehy Park Universal Design Playground exemplifies the very definition of universal design, unwavering in its dedication to the vision of a playground for ALL abilities, despite complexities, challenges, and limitations. The playground celebrates history and local artistry, seamlessly woven in a way that appears effortless and encourages play, learning and inclusivity!

• Project typology:
Universal Design playground

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
Weston & Sampson

• Other credits you need or wish to write:
City of Cambridge
Mitch Ryerson, Ryerson Design
NuVu Innovation School, Cambridge
Dominic Killiany