Harper’s Playground, in partnership with the city of Vancouver, Washington, will build a fully accessible playground at Marshall Park. This project addresses the city’s need for accessible public outdoor play spaces through the redesign and construction of an inclusive playground.

The existing playground is inaccessible, dominated by wood chips and plastic stair-laden structures near the end of their 25-year life span, and excluding thousands of children and their caregivers who experience mobility limiting disability from the physical and mental health benefits of outdoor play.

The newly designed Marshall Park will be physically, socially, and aesthetically inviting for users of all ages and abilities. The new playground will feature fully accessible and explorable play areas (smooth paths, sloping hills, skate ramps for wheelchair users and skateboarders) and equipment that fosters collaboration and interaction among users of diverse abilities (oodle swing, musical instruments, weesaw). The redesign will capitalize on existing amenities (picnic shelter, mature trees, community garden), use long lasting materials (logs, boulders), purpose built and existing landscaping (rolling hills, trees, sand/water areas), and bronze sculptures of native animals to delight and inspire players of all ages. The new playground will meet the social and physical needs of kids and seniors, and foster inter-ability and intergenerational exchange.