Director of Marketing and Communications GameTime, a PlayCore Company Chattanooga, Tennessee
We already know parks can help people move. The next opportunity is to design parks that help people connect. This session expands the conversation from intergenerational design to the broader role of parks as an essential social framework. It will explore how intentional design can help reduce isolation, foster belonging, support wellness, and create public spaces where people do not simply gather near one another, but connect with one another.
Learning Outcomes:
Identify the relationship between social isolation, community wellness, and the design of public recreation spaces.
Explain how parks, playgrounds, trails, fitness areas, plazas, and gathering spaces can function as social infrastructure within a community.
Apply practical planning, programming, and partnership strategies that help transform public spaces into more effective tools for health, wellness, and community connection.
Recognize design strategies that encourage intergenerational interaction, inclusive participation, spontaneous social connection, and longer community engagement.
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