School Grounds and Local Communities

Any school grounds project which may have a positive or negative effect on the school community, should undergo a process of collaborative insight and sharing to enhance positive outcomes.

A coordinated school community is large and powerful, and its influence extends through families and neighbourhood groups to local and regional businesses, councils and municipalities.

As a meeting place of landscape, people and culture a well-designed and effective school grounds is a valuable learning environment which conveys powerful messages about unique cultural, ecological and spiritual traditions and values.   As a centre of community relations and an example of good practice, school grounds all over the world can have a direct influence on local culture, sustainability, and well being.

In the inevitable integration of landscape, people and culture, trust is restored at a local level with inbuilt awareness of parish, regional and global connectivity.   Corporations invest time and money in strategic business plans which ensure their continued brand dominance in the free market place.  In building community infrastructure and relevance from the ground up, it can be assumed that similar visionary planning at a local level, could achieve unprecedented outcomes globally for all regions and their communities.

School grounds are the most practical places to start re-building local communities.  The rejuvenation of these special places calls for skills in design, planning, networking, business, art and placemaking.