Overview
Karantina Play Garden is a public park renovation in a low-income neighbourhood in Beirut’s northeast, aimed to create a meeting point for children and diverse communities through community participation and engagement. The intervention produced play elements to animate the park and emphasized the importance of community ownership of public space in placemaking.
Location:
Al-Mudaww district, Beirut, Lebanon
Organisation:
Catalytic Action
Partner organisations:
Zeina Kronfol and Pamela Haydamou (consultants). The Chain Effect, Recycle Lebanon, Urban pins
Beneficiary:
Children 0-5, children 6+, local community
Scale of proximity:
Neighbourhood
Built environment component:
Open space, street
Design insights
Visual/Aesthetic:
Mural and object painting contribute to the idea of a playful environment for children.
Technology:
Projecting silhouettes of workshop participants on murals helped creating a playful environment and contributed to develop children self-expression.
Process:
Engaging children and the wider community in several workshops throughout the design process was key to developing a sense of ownership over the space. The designed play elements built around the bridge are inspired by the workshops carried out and observations throughout the process.
Implementation insights
When working with a divided community, focusing efforts in co-creating and engaging through children can create positive engagement and future use of the renewed space across the whole community.
Links:
https://www.catalyticaction.org/karantina-park-rehabilitation-participatory-design/
