Case Studies

Below are a series of case studies about designed projects and programs that connect people with nature. To search design projects, click on case studies called PLACE. For programs, click on case studies called PROGRAMS. We hope you will look at all the incredible case studies that prioritize nature and health.

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An aerial photograph shows a river on the left and a circular area consisting of half paved area and half grass with benches on the riverside. A crowd of people appear to be watching performers.

Place

Sioux Falls Downtown River Greenway

Sioux Falls, SD

Perennial gardens are filled with plants blooming in shades of purple and pink, with a bench in the background.

Place

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Patient Tower

Park Ridge, IL

Aerial view shows the meandering Buffalo Bayou waterway, grassy banks, and paved walkways.

Place

Buffalo Bayou Promenade

Houston, TX

A crowded hill, full of playing children of all ages, blurred as the image captures them in motion. In the background, tall trees provide some shade from the sun.

Place

CHAMPS (Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station) at Marshall Park

Vancouver, WA

Walkers, bike riders, and segway scooter riders are sharing the non motorized roadway which is seen going under an overpass. To the right of the path are plazas with benches, cement walkways, grasses, and trees.

Place

Dequindre Cut Greenway

Detroit, MI

Pedestrians and bicyclists on wide paths surrounded by mown areas and prairie grasses with waterway in background.

Place

Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park

Tacoma, WA

Vibrant plants and trees with fall foliage border a playground. The playground colors are muted in shades of green and browns.

Place

Ed Barsis Park at Four Hills Village

Albuquerque, NM

Photo shows a constructed area in a rocky hillside that features 6 cisterns, a court where people watch children playing soccer, and 3 rectangular terraced planting areas. The surrounding area appears to be arid as there is little natural vegetation.

Place

Eliseo Collazos Fog Water Farm-Park and Gardens

Lima, Peru

A hillside planted with shrubs and ornamental grasses has a large, modern-style building behind it.

Place

Frontier Project

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

A large sculpture of an animal head made from plants, with one side of the head resembling a child’s rocking horse, and the other side a dinosaur.

Place

Glenstone

Potomac, MD

Three people—one of them in a wheelchair—are seated in a garden area that resembles an eddy, where fresh air is gathered; rows of planters border the walkway leading up to the seating area. The trio enjoys the spring bloom and the clear, sunny sky.

Place

Hospice Garden

Seattle, WA

Two people walk up a wide wooden staircase. The staircase takes several turns as it goes between large rock outcrops.

Place

Huludao Xingcheng Coastal Trail

Huludao and Xingcheng, China

Two children sit on top of a hexagonally shaped climbing structure while another stands on the other end. Two children are slightly blurred as they run around the structure. The brick school building is in the background.

Place

KIPP Philadelphia Preparatory Academy

Philadelphia, PA

A salmon colored wall meanders through a park adjacent to lush green grass and open space. Several trees have leaves that are changing from green to orange.

Place

Linwood Park

Ardmore, PA

An aerial image of the playground showing play equipment, gathering spaces, and a painted ground mural looping around the playground.

Place

Louis H. Farrell Elementary School

Philadelphia, PA

A group of youth play with a football while other children sit on the berm. Behind them, kids play on the climber dome. The school building in the background is painted with bright colors and artwork.

Place

Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy (formerly Chester Arthur Schoolyard)

Philadelphia, PA

Multiple children are playing on an expansive wooden play structure surrounded by green grass and foliage.

Place

McMichael Park Nature Playspace

Philadelphia, PA

People walk along a gravel path with benches and a waterway in the background.

Place

Muscota Marsh

New York, NY

Children explore a muddy path made by a low-flow channel with their feet. One adult is watching the children play and another is walking through the adjacent field.

Place

Petroglyph Estates Park

Albuquerque, NM

A sidewalk, path, and landscaped garden beds with flat-roofed, wood-sided buildings on either side.

Place

Power To Be Basecamp

Victoria, British Columbia

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