Space to Grow is a Chicago-based initiative working with many of the city’s low-income communities to transform underutilized properties into “green schoolyards.” Green schoolyards provide an opportunity for students to learn and grow outdoors, and for schools to support student health and boost physical activity. Key site elements that must be present in each Space to Grow schoolyard fit into the following categories:
- Rainwater management
- Outdoor learning
- Physical activity
(See Figure 1.4.7_1)
Program Partners
Space to Grow is led by managing partners Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands. Capital partners include Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM), and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC). The Space to Grow program also mandates collaboration with students, parents, and community members throughout the design process.
Rainwater Management
The large expanses of asphalt and other impermeable surfacing in existing schoolyards present an opportunity to reduce the amount of impervious surface and thereby reduce flooding in high-risk neighborhoods. Each Space to Grow schoolyard must retain a site-specific amount of rainwater on site. The exact volume will be determined on an individual project basis. This can be accomplished through BMPs, such as:
- Permeable pavers
- Rain gardens
- Other innovative methods to capture and retain rainwater on site for evapo-transpiration and absorption into the ground.
CPS projects that are part of the Space to Grow program must comply with the program-specific requirements set forth by MWRDGC as well as DWM requirements for regulated developments.
Space to Grow MWRDGC stormwater requirements:
- The project shall be designed to a standard release rate of 0.15 cubic feet per second (cfs) per acre for onsite detention.
- The project shall capture and retain a minimum of three inches (preferably more) of runoff from all impervious surfaces.
- The project shall provide a total retention capacity of 150,000 gallons or greater as calculated using MWRDGC’s Design Retention Capacity Calculator.
See Volume 3 Sections 1.5.1 Rainwater Management & Site Drainage and 1.8 Landscaping for additional guidelines.
Outdoor Learning
Each schoolyard shall serve as an outdoor extension of the classroom for a wide range of topics including science, gardening, and nutrition. Examples of programmatic elements that may contribute to outdoor learning and exploration include:
- Outdoor classrooms
- Native plants
- Edible gardens
- Interpretive signs
Native Plantings
Incorporating native plants in schoolyards is an important part of the Space to Grow program and shall be prioritized. Native plantings:
- Provide year-round interest and education
- Create vital habitat for birds, butterflies, and insects
- Create educational opportunities
- Reduce maintenance needs
Native plants may be used in conjunction with sustainable stormwater management (e.g. rain gardens), as well as in gardens and perimeter plantings. A variety of trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials are encouraged. Invasive plant species are not permitted.
See Volume 3 Section 1.8 Landscaping for additional information.
Physical Activity
Space to Grow schoolyards shall boost physical activity and wellness through recreational fields and play equipment for children of all ages. Recreational fields may include:
- Multi-purpose turf fields
- Walking tracks
- Basketball
- Tennis courts
- Play equipment shall include school-age playgrounds, pre-school play lots, or combined areas as appropriate to each school.
See Volume 3 Sections 1.4.3 Elementary School Play Fields and 1.4.4 Playgrounds for additional information. Refer to the Space to Grow Manual and website for additional information: https://www.spacetogrowchicago.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Space-to-Grow-School-Manual-2019-Smaller-for-Web.pdf
(See Figure 1.4.7_4)