Community interventions | We’ve been commissioned by the mini MOOi’s to see what we could do to help revitalise an uninviting & seemingly forgotten playground in central #Cambridge.
Living in central Cambridge, it’s evident that there’s an unfortunate lack of playgrounds in the Petersfield area and it got us thinking, how we might be able to raise awareness to bring some much needed updates and improvements to the Ravensworth Gardens Playground.
The area in question is on top of the Ravensworth Gardens car park and although there is a playground at present, it is very tired and falling apart and there’s an overgrown patch of grass adjacent which is never used. Owing to its remote location, being raised above the street level of the adjacent Tenison Road and Devonshire Road and its unwelcoming access through large gates, over the years it has become a hotspot for drug dealing, antisocial behaviour and crime.
We feel that the main issue at present is the lack of visual and physical connection with the street. In order to address this (but not affect the existing carpark) a stepped frontage could be introduced, retaining the mature trees, providing a more generous direct route for the public and improving visibility 🌳
A cafe and seating area could also potentially be created on the rear of the car park entrance, in order to create a greater sense of community and for the parents to enjoy whilst visiting the playground 🛝
A new playground, multi-sports pitch and outdoor gym could then be created on the rest of the area, making better use of the space and providing a much needed facility for children of the local area.
We have drafted a quick aerial concept sketch of how this might work. We wanted to raise awareness of this issue with the local Council and provide some initial ideas for how this might be resolved 🧡 #MOOi
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