The Asheville Housing Authority manages the Klondyke Apartments, where 585 residents reside. The apartment complex is home to over 200 children age 12 years and younger, yet the apartment complex provides no safe place for them to play. There is adequate space in Klondyke to accommodate a playground, but it is nearly void of play equipment. Instead, children in Klondyke spend their outdoor time playing in the streets.

Everyone deserves a safe neighborhood to call home: a secure, healthy and enjoyable environment where family and friends can congregate and create memories. Children need to explore, run, climb, laugh and play. Parents also need the opportunity to engage with their children and other adults, building a sense of community and security. In Klondyke, a positive play environment for children will create a community gathering space for families, promoting a healthier, more cohesive neighborhood.

Design and health are directly related. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that childhood obesity has nearly tripled in the past 30 years, from 7% (1980) to nearly 20% (2008) for ages 6 -11 years. By providing a safe, fun outdoor environment, community youth will be encouraged to maintain active and healthy lifestyles.

ADC recognizes the critical role of community-driven design as a catalyst for positive change. Working with Klondyke residents through all phases of the process—from design to construction to routine maintenance—ADC will design and build a new space that encourages a sense of ownership, respect and pride for the neighborhood. We will adhere to the motto “nothing about us without us” by engaging Klondyke parents and children through onsite workshops. ADC volunteer designers will then transform the community’s ideas for play and gathering spaces into a set of designs that meet Klondyke’s needs.

ADC will value Klondyke’s human resources by partnering with Green Opportunities (GO) to train six residents to build, install and landscape the playground site. ADC will also work with local businesses for material donations and we will incorporate repurposed and recycled materials whenever possible. This cost effective approach yields a more unique and enjoyable playground at about one-third the cost of a traditional set-up. Building upon the success of the Klondyke playground project, ADC will seek out additional design-build-play projects with other communities in need, empowering each generation along the way.