Reopening of the Usti nad Labem street playground
The playground at Usti nad Labem 199 - 209 will be reopened on Friday, 16 October from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., just in time for the start of the holidays. The City of Chemnitz Parks Department, the "UK" children's and youth centre and the citizens' platform "Bürgernetzwerk Chemnitz-Süd" are jointly inviting people to play, conquer and explore the new playground.
The playground was originally due to be demolished in 2016. This was envisaged in the playground concept from 2014. This was averted thanks to the commitment of local residents and the joint efforts of citizens' initiatives, neighbourhood management, the "UK" children's and youth centre and the citizens' platform "Bürgernetzwerk Chemnitz-Süd".
The Chemnitz City Council had followed the citizens' suggestions to preserve the playground and had allocated additional funds for the playground in the budget.
As the playground is located in the immediate vicinity of the road, the first step was to restore road safety with a new fence. A design workshop was held by the Parks Department in a public participation process and in cooperation with the "UK" children's and youth centre. The wishes of the children and their parents were incorporated into the planning. The playground was planned and built as a near-natural ensemble by the Parks Department with municipal funds totalling 60,000 euros (including the fence). Design elements with their own play value - such as stones, bushes and hills - were to be used to stimulate the children's imagination.
The citizens' platform "Bürgernetzwerk Chemnitz-Süd" was able to contribute 22,000 euros from the citizens' budget provided by the city to purchase and install a climbing and sliding combination called "Adonis" (from the company Ernst Maier).