Golf Cars - The Follow-Up

For those interested in the follow-up to my last blog on the Town of Erie's consideration to allow golf carts on some city  streets, you can get the full story here.

Basically, the decision was made to allow golf carts as a mode of transportation, with certain restrictions. To me, this represents a big step in changing the way people think about how they get around and will ultimately make Erie's neighborhoods quieter, safer, and friendlier. It may also lead to some changes in the way streets and neighborhoods are designed. More compact and better connected developments may be one outcome of this decision.

And while golf carts may not be as pollution-free as walking or riding your bike, it is likely that they are an improvement over the 200-horsepower automobiles that people are currently using for local trips around Erie. Happy motoring, Erie!
Rob Layton

Small Towns Setting New Trends?

Erie, Colorado continues to be a small town with big ideas. Design Concepts was pleased to be the designer for their new Erie Community Park, which is turning out to be a real winner in terms of building a sense of community and bringing new visitors to town. But the big story today can be found in the Boulder Daily Camera's article on theTown's consideration of allowing golf carts on some of its streets. Kudos to Erie for its willingness to think outside the box and weigh the options for alternative forms of transportation.

I'm sure that the discussion will be an interesting one at the Town Board tonight, as there are plenty of pro's and cons to consider. Breaking out of our automobile-centric mold in this country is not an easy task. But at least they are having the discussion. Best wishes to the folks in Erie, whatever you decide to do.

Oh, and a tip of the hat to Lyons, the other Boulder County town that has lead the way on this issue!
Rob Layton

Playgrounds of London

My recent trip to London was great fun, with the added bonus of incredible weather: long days of sunshine and warm temperatures. Perfect for enjoying the many fine parks found there. Fortunately, my two young traveling companions, aged seven and eleven, shared my own personal interest in parks and especially playgrounds. We visited every playground we could find, and what we found was that London offers some great places to play. The large and well-known Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens lived up to it's reputation, with a sand beach and water play, huge pirate ship and a variety of nooks and crannies to explore. The playground is not only fun for the kids, it's also a pleasant place for parents, with places to relax in a garden-like setting.

The girls also had a great time at the Holland Park Adventure Playground, which has a wide variety of moving elements, including several different types of swings and spinners, and platforms suspended on cables that all bounce and jiggle when kids (and their parents) jump on them. It also has one of the long zip-lines that we found in many of London's parks. With so many interactive things to do, the girls couldn't help but make friends among the children of many nationalities who visit the park. It was interesting to see how the kids all quickly figured out how to cooperate to make things spin faster and go farther, even when they didn't speak the same language.

In Kew Gardens we found a number of fantastic interpretive playgrounds, including one inside a greenhouse (especially popular in the wet weather London is famous for, I'm sure) and several natural play areas built around  the concepts of photosynthesis, the food chain, and other natural processes. Lots of great ideas for combining play, learning, and nature can be found at Kew Gardens.

London's playgrounds were among the highlights of our trip, offering the girls a way to burn off some youthful energy, interact with people their own age, and maybe even learn a little about the environment while we  grownups enjoyed a shady spot to take a break from the rigors of sightseeing. They make a great city even better.
Rob Layton
July 16th, 2010

Discovery Playground

Discovery Playground, Design Concepts’ newest destination playground has just had its grand opening.  Located in Spokane Valley, Washington, it was designed to appeal to people of all ages and abilities.  The playground has multiple activities to engage the senses.  Colorful custom play and art pieces, a water spray area, climbing wall, musical elements, extensive plantings and landforms all provide fun for Eastern Washington residents.  

The Secret Garden with "Large Objects"

The Bear Cave and Sand Play

Construction is done - time to relax!

Q&A on Playgrounds

We're excited to be featured in the April issue of Colorado Parent. Carol and Shanen did a Q&A session on building better playgrounds, and how to incorporate activities for adults as well as kids. Parents are the ones bringing kids to playgrounds, why not give them something to do too? The online version can be found here.