There’s a chance for community members to have a say in improvement and redesign projects in two West Philly neighborhoods – Spruce Hill and Cedar Park.

As you may have heard, the Friends of Clark Park are planning to rebuild the children’s playground near 43rd and Regent, as part of the multi-phase Clark Park Plan. Neighbors, families, and park-goers of all ages are invited to a Play Jam at the park this Saturday, April 11 (rain date: April 12), 10 a.m.-1 p.m. to review design inspiration and make their voices heard. This event is the first opportunity for the broader public to engage with early design concepts and help shape Clark Park’s new playground.

The Friends of Clark Park is partnering with Hinge Collective and Studio Ludo to bring the design process directly to the community. Saturday’s event will include interactive displays and hands-on feedback activities.

After years of bringing joy to generations of local children, the current playground’s structures are showing their age and are ready for an upgrade. Play Jam marks the official start of a multi-phase engagement and construction process of creating a new vibrant and inclusive space where West Philly children can play for years to come.

“Clark Park’s playground serves tens of thousands of kids across West and Southwest Philadelphia every year,” said Ben Sirolly, President of the Friends of Clark Park. “We’re hoping to build the joyful, welcoming playground that our neighborhood has always deserved. We want the playground to be designed by the community, for the community.”

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Want to design your neighborhood? Cedar Park Neighbors is hosting “Plan & Play” on April 18 at The Cedar Works. Come play a board game where players can design a map of improvements for the Cedar Park area (see the boundaries map below). It is both a fun game and a community engagement tool, and the results of this game will be used by Cedar Park Neighbors to inform future local projects. All ages are welcome and there will be free food! The event will be held from 12 – 4 p.m. at The Cedar Works Meeting Room (4919 Pentridge St).