Trust for Public Land Breaks Ground on New Community Schoolyard at PS 69 in Jackson Heights
NEW YORK – Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the School Construction Authority, and local elected officials, celebrated the groundbreaking of a new community schoolyard at P.S. 69 in Jackson Heights—transforming an underutilized schoolyard into a vibrant, green space designed for students and the surrounding community.
P.S. 69 serves more than 800 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The new schoolyard will provide a safe, welcoming place to play, learn, and gather in one of Queens’ most park-starved neighborhoods. Jackson Heights has some of the lowest access to open space in New York City, making projects like this critical for children’s health and community well-being.
Ranking neighborhoods with the least amount of park space in NYC, half of them are in Queens. Of the 198 NYC residential neighborhoods mapped for park space, Jackson Heights ranks 182nd. The renovation of this playground will provide families with a beautiful and much needed place to play near home.
“Jackson Heights families deserve safe, beautiful places where children can play, learn, and thrive,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan. “That’s why I was proud to invest in transforming the schoolyard at P.S. 69 into a green, welcoming community space. This project will serve hundreds of students every day and thousands of neighbors after school hours—bringing much-needed open space to the community with the least amount of green and public space in our city.”
Designed through a participatory process with students, educators, families, and community members, the new schoolyard will feature nature-based play elements, shaded seating, improved drainage, and green infrastructure that helps manage stormwater and reduce extreme heat – collecting 260,000 gallons of stormwater helping to reduce flooding and runoff.
Once complete, the space will be open to the public outside of school hours, expanding access to much-needed outdoor recreation for more than 56,000 nearby residents within a 10-minute walk.
“This groundbreaking represents an investment in the health, joy, and future of Jackson Heights,” said Tamar Renaud, New York State Director for Trust for Public Land. “TPL is grateful for leaders like CM Krishnan for advocating for the creation of public green spaces that not only give kids room to play and learn but benefit entire neighborhoods.”
“The upgraded playground at P.S. 69Q will give students and families in Jackson Heights a fun new place to play, and capture stormwater on rainy days which will reduce neighborhood flooding,” said New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia. “DEP is proud to partner with the Trust for Public Land on this important project to help safeguard our environment and reduce increasing impacts from climate change.”
“The School Construction Authority is proud to partner on this important project that will transform an underutilized schoolyard into a vibrant, green space for both students and the Jackson Heights community,” said Nina Kubota, SCA President & CEO. “Projects like this reflect our commitment to creating healthy, sustainable learning environments while expanding access to safe outdoor spaces in neighborhoods that need them most.”
The community schoolyard initiative is a key part of Trust for Public Land’s mission to close the park equity gap and create vibrant, climate-resilient outdoor spaces in neighborhoods that need them most. Across the country, TPL has transformed more than 350 schoolyards, creating dynamic outdoor spaces that boost student health and learning, reduce neighborhood heat, and absorb stormwater.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
