Across NYCHA’s 2,400 acres, 40% of our city’s playgrounds go mostly untouched because of damage incurred by unintended adult use. But when considering only 2% of available outdoor space on campuses is designed for adult passive use, and that 75% of NYCHA residents are over 18, it’s clear that something isn’t adding up. NYCHA’s Play Space Master Plan offers a new vision for a new era of public housing in New York, centered on resident quality of life. Grounded in active design principles, connected community-building, and multigenerational use, open space is the heart of the NYCHA Masterplan—a roadmap to removing fences, returning access to mature trees, and unpaving the way towards a greener future for NYCHA and all of NYC.

Photo Credit: Grain Collective