GUB's involvement in Boulder Civic Area
2012-2018
Whittier Students Share Ideas with City Council
Whittier International Elementary School students presented their ideas for the Boulder Civic Area to City Councilmembers on November 10, 2015 (comments begin at 48:00). Now in 4th grade, these students spent much of their fall in 3rd grade thinking about how to design a child-friendly public space. We are thrilled they had the opportunity to share these ideas with city leaders. See the above reports about children's ideas and how they were incorporated into Boulder's Master Plan.
Project Overview
The Boulder Civic Area is a visionary, community driven project to rethink and evolve the downtown's most expansive public space. The planning area is bounded by 9th to 17th streets and Canyon Boulevard to Arapahoe Avenue. Growing Up Boulder (GUB) is working with multiple schools and youth groups to move from the civic area's concept plan to more detailed design recommendations for park space along Boulder Creek. Click here to see GUB's past work on the 2012 Civic Area visioning process.
During the 2014 fall semester, GUB worked with elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as GUB interns, graduate students, and visiting masters students to gather ideas for the Civic Area re-design. Each age group was given specific themes, selected from GUB 2012 visioning process, on which to focus. Below are descriptions of the participatory tools and methods used with each group and a summary of their findings. Dialogue between the students and City about the site plan is ongoing.
This project was supported by a 2014-2015 University of Colorado Outreach and Engagement Award.
Whittier International Elementary School
The fifty-nine 3rd grade students at Whittier focused their efforts on nature play, integration with the library, and arts & culture. They were shown presentations of how children play and what outdoor library spaces look like in other parts of the world before venturing out on a field trip to the civic area, library, and Boulder Creek. They were introduced to many methods, before and after their field trip, to process their experiences into design and planning suggestions. The methods included:
Findings
Elementary school students expressed their desire to interact with nature though tree houses, zip-lines, boat building stations, underground creek viewing tunnels, and climbable animal structures. They often integrated nature into other activities, proposing ideas like a greenhouse library where they books are about nature, or a tree house with bean bags and books for relaxing and reading by the creek. Other features included in the final models were rubber duck races, bird feeders, water play, food trucks, transportation solutions, sitting and lounging areas, interactive public art, and solutions for the homeless.
In their words:
“There is not enough interaction with art. I strongly believe we could improve the Civic Center by having benches with art painted on them. Possibly, there could be cultural art and stories on them so people could learn from them.”
"Kids want to interact with nature and there's not a good way to do it."
“I also think we should have food trucks at the civic area. People might get hungry after they come play and check out library books. Or people might be hungry after work or bike ride to the civic area. With food trucks there, they can eat at the civic area and get a special treat at an ice cream truck.”
“There's not any places to play or interact water. I propose putting a dragon statue that shoots out water by the creek. This is important because during the summer outside some kids overheat. For example, after I go into a fountain it cools me off!”
"I think you should make a climbing zoo. A climbing zoo is a climbing structure with animals in it! I suggest this because people in Boulder value exercise and when I climb, I feel more connected to nature and happier.”
The Boulder Civic Area is a visionary, community driven project to rethink and evolve the downtown's most expansive public space. The planning area is bounded by 9th to 17th streets and Canyon Boulevard to Arapahoe Avenue. Growing Up Boulder (GUB) is working with multiple schools and youth groups to move from the civic area's concept plan to more detailed design recommendations for park space along Boulder Creek. Click here to see GUB's past work on the 2012 Civic Area visioning process.
During the 2014 fall semester, GUB worked with elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as GUB interns, graduate students, and visiting masters students to gather ideas for the Civic Area re-design. Each age group was given specific themes, selected from GUB 2012 visioning process, on which to focus. Below are descriptions of the participatory tools and methods used with each group and a summary of their findings. Dialogue between the students and City about the site plan is ongoing.
This project was supported by a 2014-2015 University of Colorado Outreach and Engagement Award.
Whittier International Elementary School
The fifty-nine 3rd grade students at Whittier focused their efforts on nature play, integration with the library, and arts & culture. They were shown presentations of how children play and what outdoor library spaces look like in other parts of the world before venturing out on a field trip to the civic area, library, and Boulder Creek. They were introduced to many methods, before and after their field trip, to process their experiences into design and planning suggestions. The methods included:
- Personal Experience and Perception (PEP) During their visit to the Civic Area the students were asked to quietly experience their surroundings and write down their thoughts
- City as Play An engagement activity that allowed participants to place found objects on a site plan of the space that is to be reimagined. Click here to learn more about the method.
- Photogrid The students used flash cards to draw changes they would make to the Civic Area and located the flash cards on a site plan
- Public Art Sculptures The students were asked to build a sculpture out of clay they thought should go in the Civic Area
- Nicho Boxes Students expressed their own culture through traditional boxes filled with objects, symbols, and writing about what they value
- Design Scenario Critiques The students described their feelings towards each of 4 design scenarios for the Civic Area, provided by Tom Leader studios
- Letters to City Council Students used their unit on persuasive writing to draft letters to city council supporting their design recommendations
- Model making and presentation During this final phase the children created models to demonstrate their ideas and suggestions for the Civic Area and presented their work to city partners along with their persuasive writing project
Findings
Elementary school students expressed their desire to interact with nature though tree houses, zip-lines, boat building stations, underground creek viewing tunnels, and climbable animal structures. They often integrated nature into other activities, proposing ideas like a greenhouse library where they books are about nature, or a tree house with bean bags and books for relaxing and reading by the creek. Other features included in the final models were rubber duck races, bird feeders, water play, food trucks, transportation solutions, sitting and lounging areas, interactive public art, and solutions for the homeless.
In their words:
“There is not enough interaction with art. I strongly believe we could improve the Civic Center by having benches with art painted on them. Possibly, there could be cultural art and stories on them so people could learn from them.”
"Kids want to interact with nature and there's not a good way to do it."
“I also think we should have food trucks at the civic area. People might get hungry after they come play and check out library books. Or people might be hungry after work or bike ride to the civic area. With food trucks there, they can eat at the civic area and get a special treat at an ice cream truck.”
“There's not any places to play or interact water. I propose putting a dragon statue that shoots out water by the creek. This is important because during the summer outside some kids overheat. For example, after I go into a fountain it cools me off!”
"I think you should make a climbing zoo. A climbing zoo is a climbing structure with animals in it! I suggest this because people in Boulder value exercise and when I climb, I feel more connected to nature and happier.”
Casey Middle School
At Casey Middle School, twenty-one students in a science-based class focused on ecological experiences and design. The methods they used included:
Findings
While middle school students began with a focus on ecological learning and exploration, their ideas expanded to include spaces for active play, water interaction, and a sanitation station for the homeless. Active play areas included slack-lines and small skate parks, while water interaction was represented with sandy beach-like areas near the creek, water fountains, slides for tubing and bridges with monkey bars below them. The homeless sanitation station was a reaction by students to the large transient population within the area and a recognition that the area lacked basic services for this population. Other features recommended by the middle school students included a graffiti wall, bridges, and benches.
At Casey Middle School, twenty-one students in a science-based class focused on ecological experiences and design. The methods they used included:
- Picto-play Students used a Dutch methodology of small icons representing various playground features along with dots representing their associated costs to design a poster
- Visual preference surveys Students were asked what features they like/dislike in their own school yard and whether or not they would like to include features from a presentation on ecological playgrounds in the Boulder Civic Area
- City as Play During a field trip to the Civic Area, facilitator James Rojas asks students to build their ideal park using found objects
- Photogrid Students took photographs of features in the Civic Area they wished to "Keep, Change, or Add" and attached them to the site plan
- Personal Experience and Perception (PEP) During their visit to the Civic Area the students were asked to quietly experience their surroundings and write down their thoughts
- Design Scenario Critique The students described their feelings towards each of 4 design scenarios of the Civic Area, provided by Tom Leader studios.
- Model Making and Presentation During this final phase the students created models to demonstrate their ideas and suggestions for the Civic Area and present their work to city partners
Findings
While middle school students began with a focus on ecological learning and exploration, their ideas expanded to include spaces for active play, water interaction, and a sanitation station for the homeless. Active play areas included slack-lines and small skate parks, while water interaction was represented with sandy beach-like areas near the creek, water fountains, slides for tubing and bridges with monkey bars below them. The homeless sanitation station was a reaction by students to the large transient population within the area and a recognition that the area lacked basic services for this population. Other features recommended by the middle school students included a graffiti wall, bridges, and benches.
Boulder High School
The fifteen 11th graders in Boulder High School's Advancement via Individual Determinism (AVID) class focused on arts, culture, and "hanging out.". Methods included:
The high school students' recommendations centered on affordable food options, arts and culture, hangout spaces, and flexible green spaces. Discussions on food options were important because they only have 30 minutes to go off campus for lunch, and there are limited affordable options within walking distance. Access to food and hangout spaces was integrated with recommendations for food trucks, food stands, picnic tables and covered seating. Students expressed ideas for arts and culture through use of world flags or cultural quotes along walk ways, a performing arts stage, a sculpture garden and an inspirational chalkboard that people could write on. The flexible green space would provide opportunities for activities such as soccer or summer movie nights. Secondary students also made clear that they wanted play areas are for all ages, including themselves. In their final reflections at the end of the semester, they wanted to make sure that we remember that “tree houses are for teens too!”
High School students' most frequently requested design features:
The fifteen 11th graders in Boulder High School's Advancement via Individual Determinism (AVID) class focused on arts, culture, and "hanging out.". Methods included:
- Personal Experience and Perception (PEP) During their visit to the Civic Area the students were asked to quietly experience their surroundings and write down their thoughts
- City as Play An engagement activity that allowed participants to place found objects on a site plan of the space that is to be reimagined
- Design Scenario Critique The students described their feelings towards each of 4 design scenarios of the Civic Area, provided by Tom Leader studios
- Model Making During this final phase the students created models to demonstrate their ideas and suggestions for the Civic Area
The high school students' recommendations centered on affordable food options, arts and culture, hangout spaces, and flexible green spaces. Discussions on food options were important because they only have 30 minutes to go off campus for lunch, and there are limited affordable options within walking distance. Access to food and hangout spaces was integrated with recommendations for food trucks, food stands, picnic tables and covered seating. Students expressed ideas for arts and culture through use of world flags or cultural quotes along walk ways, a performing arts stage, a sculpture garden and an inspirational chalkboard that people could write on. The flexible green space would provide opportunities for activities such as soccer or summer movie nights. Secondary students also made clear that they wanted play areas are for all ages, including themselves. In their final reflections at the end of the semester, they wanted to make sure that we remember that “tree houses are for teens too!”
High School students' most frequently requested design features:
- Prettier bridges
- More pathways, esp. rocks in the water
- Colorful lights for safety, esp. on bridges, including an emergency call button
- Benches and picnic tables
- Chalk board with questions like "what do you love about Boulder?" or "what are your goals?"
- More access to the creek
- More grass, trees, and flowers
- More recreation - water slide, gaming area, ping-pong tables, soccer field
- Vending machines and food trucks
- More bike racks
- Better signage instructing people on activities and how to get around
- More trashcans
- Real restrooms (not port-a-potties)
Growing Up Boulder is a partnership between the University of Colorado's Community Engagement Research and Design Center (CEDaR),
Boulder Valley School District, and City of Boulder.
Boulder Valley School District, and City of Boulder.
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