Yarmouk Playground

Located in Yarmouk (Northern Jordan), overlooking the Golan Heights and Syria, with a stunning, gently sloping landscape filled with centuries-old Oak trees- the site for the Yarmouk playground is a very popular destination for picnicking among local families all year round. ACP worked with local experts, communities, and government officials to develop a conservation plan which would take the welfare of local communities into consideration while protecting their natural heritage. 

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ACP managed the planning of the site on three different scales: regional, local, and site-specific. The regional scale involved the delineation of a protected conservation area essential to the local ecological, social and economic needs. The local scale developed a masterplan  which included a visitor’s centre, and rehabilitated abandoned infrastructure to meet sustainable design standards, for community use. Finally, the site scale implemented the first phase of the masterplan; an educational playground which introduces children of various ages to nature conservation through play. The playground weaves through the oak tree landscape and is centered  around games that foster both physical development and conservation awareness. The playground games were built using recycled materials such as timber and tires.

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The project took a collaborative approach in which all local stakeholders (especially children from the local area) could contribute, in order to better ensure stewardship over the sites. The delineated area management and ecological and restoration plans were approved, and the Yarmouk protected area will become part of a national conservation network.

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