Pledge by KABOOM!
Creating Equitable Access to Green Playspaces
Addressing urban heat islands through shade and green play infrastructureAddressing urban heat islands through shade and green play infrastructure
KABOOM! will work with partners across the country to add trees to its playgrounds in order to increase the total amount of shaded areas in urban heat islands. Our mission to end playspace inequity is compelling us to address environmental inequities that many of our community partners are also facing. By planting these trees and shifting away from plastic and metal play equipment we can help reduce neighborhood surface temperatures by as much as 2 degrees and prevent them from becoming urban heat sinks.
Trees: 5000
The KABOOM! model relies on three factors: 1) partnering with a systems level stakeholder (like a school district or city parks department) to ensure that the trees we will plant on the schoolyards or playgrounds conform with the partner's urban forestry plan; 2) partners must present KABOOM! with a long-term maintenance plan for the playgrounds or schoolyards we build or refurbish them (these plans include a demonstration of availability of funding for site maintenance); and 3) the KABOOM! model of playspace design is a community driven one that involves kids, parents, and teachers in a co-design process for the space. The co-design process involves community meetings where children actually help select the play design features, vote on final design plans, and participate in the playspace creation.
KABOOM! works with cities and school districts to build playgrounds in historically disinvested communities across the country. As part of this work, we are going to start adding trees to playgrounds in neighborhoods that have been identified as urban heat islands. Those trees will provide the shade that will help reduce surface temperatures and improve air quality. Using NASA's heat index mapping, along with our own Playspace Inequity Priority Index mapping tool, we can identify those neighborhoods that are most in need of refurbished play equipment and shades.