Tacoma sits in the shadow of Mt. Rainier and is Washington’s third largest city. It also has lots of great parks, but not everyone has equal access.

More than 65,000 people in Tacoma do not live within a 10-minute walk of a park. This the largest park access gap of any of Washington’s major cities. Tacoma also has one of the state’s lowest life expectancies and higher rates of obesity, asthma, and heart disease.

School district properties could be a great new way to improve local access to parks and health rates.

We’re working with MetroParks Tacoma and the Tacoma School District to renovate six existing schoolyards for public use by 2023.

Most schoolyards are not open to the public or are not safe places to play. Many look more like parking lots—no trees, no shade, no grass to play on, dangerously hot in the summer or flooding when it rains.

Sharing schoolyards with neighborhoods outside school hours means 88% of Tacoma’s residents will have a great park to enjoy within a 10-minute walk of their home. This is the first step toward connecting more than 40,000 residents to new local green spaces. Remaining open after hours will help entire communities thrive. A well-designed schoolyard offers new exercise opportunities to both kids and adults. It also increases interactions and connections between the school and local residents.

Parks are not just attractive amenities. Designing outdoor spaces that address health needs, reduce urban flooding, and reflect local culture and aspirations will ensure the spaces are well used and well loved.

Pilot Sites

1. Helen B. Stafford Elementary 
1615 S 92nd St, Tacoma, WA 98444

550 students attend Reed Elementary in the South End neighborhood of Tacoma. Neighbors frequently use the schoolyard for walking, gathering, and drop-in activities, but the schoolyard lacks amenities to support community use. Trees, seating areas, improvements to the track and playfield, and new, interactive play equipment could transform this schoolyard into a green play space and vibrant community hub. Investing in this schoolyard would bring a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of 5,162 nearby residents.

2. Jennie Reed Elementary 
1802 S 36th St, Tacoma, WA 98418

450 students attend Reed Elementary in the South End neighborhood of Tacoma. The school’s close proximity to I-5 results in noise and air pollution on the schoolyard. More trees and vegetation could buffer the noise and help to clean the air. Reed Elementary benefits from an active PTA group and a local community group which could both play large roles in design and community engagement. Investing in this schoolyard would bring a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of 644 nearby residents.

3. Mann Elementary
1002 S 52nd St, Tacoma, WA 98408

450 students attend Mann Elementary in the South End neighborhood of Tacoma. Uneven surfaces across the asphalt play area and an outdated playground create access issues. The schoolyard would benefit from interactive and accessible play equipment, more trees, improvements to the track and playfield, and more seating areas. The Mann Elementary PTA could foster community engagement and provide important insight on needed amenities and design. Investing in this schoolyard would bring a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of 3,075 nearby residents.

4. Whitman Elementary
1120 S 39th St, Tacoma, WA 98418

More than 400 students attend Whitman Elementary in the South End neighborhood of Tacoma. The schoolyard includes a significant asphalt-covered play area and an upper area that includes a grass playfield with an informal track, raised planter boxes, play equipment set on wood chips, and adult exercise equipment. The schoolyard would greatly benefit from improvements to the track and playfield, new amenities in the lower asphalt area, and interactive play equipment. The Whitman Elementary PTA and several community leaders are poised to play powerful roles in the design of the new schoolyard. Investing in this schoolyard would bring a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of 2,189 nearby residents.

5. IDEA High School*
6701 S Park Ave, Tacoma, WA 98408

400 students attend IDEA (INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, ENGINEERING AND ART) High School in the South End neighborhood of Tacoma. The schoolyard includes a grass field that is well-used by the community, small outdated play equipment, a covered pagoda adjacent to the school, and a rain garden. There are significant opportunities to improve the schoolyard, but what makes this location unique is the opportunity for high school students studying design, engineering, and art to apply their skills to this project in their school community. Investing in this schoolyard would bring a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of 1,472 nearby residents.

*This school is under consideration as a potential site in the Tacoma Green Schoolyards program. 

6. Larchmont Elementary

370 students attend Larchmont Elementary in the Eastside neighborhood of Tacoma. The schoolyard includes a simple playground, a well-worn natural turf field, and vacant grassy area. The grassy area represents a multitude of opportunities to bring the community’s vision to life for this play space. Students and neighbors already use the schoolyard regularly for drop-in activities, most notably for cricket. Creating a green schoolyard in this space would fortify community ownership and solidify the schoolyard as a community hub. Investing in this schoolyard would bring a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of 1,102 nearby residents.