In areas where no children’s play grounds exist, what are the chances that one could suddenly appear, as if to pop up for a few hours of fun? That is what a group of local advocates are asking… and doing. Last May Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect came together with architect Catherine Faust and head of the Tinkering School of Buffalo, Melissa Leopard, to present the concept of pop up parks in Buffalo (see here).
Build them up, play on them, and then tear them down. These may not be the types of parks that most kids are accustomed to seeing. Rather they are assembled by the kids with the help of families and the coaches using materials that are easy to come across and virtually free. A discarded car tire might look like garbage to some, but to the eyes of a child it can be material to build, to climb, to hide, to roll, to climb through. A discarded rope becomes a rope swing, and a wood pallet becomes a ladder…
“Pop-Up” refers to an intervention, usually within the urban environment, that “pops up” temporarily for a specific need or event. Vacant storefronts become pop-up art galleries, or pop-up restaurants for a one night event. On street parking spaces become “parklettes,” with lush planting and seating for nearby cafes lacking sidewalk space. The intervention is short, inexpensive, fulfills a temporary need, and often highlights an underappreciated space in our surroundings.” – Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC.
Stay tuned for more pop up parks coming to a neighborhood near you.
*Participation in Pop-Up Park Buffalo is free; however, reservations are required: please call Alana Ryder, curator for public and academic programs, at (716) 878-4534 ext. 4534. Space is limited, and children must be between the ages of 8 and 18. Lunch will be provided. The event will take place rain or shine. This event is part of a four-day festival from April 11 to 14 called Cycles.
Photographer Greg Meadows – see more great photos
^Video: Pop up park takes shape at the corner of Woodlawn and Dupont on the city’s East Side – Summer 2012