NBBJ shares details of its Nickerson Gardens Playground renovation project in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles as part of a grand opening held on August 16th at the site, which forms the center of what is the largest American public housing development west of the Mississippi River. 

The project is part of a larger $1 billion redevelopment of the Nickerson Gardens public housing tract that was first designed by Paul Revere Williams in 1955. Along with the 17,656-square-foot renovation, the new life breathed into the site will also include a fitness center, new slides, a carousel, and other brightly-colored children’s play equipment from Kompan.

NBBJ designed the project pro bono alongside its East Coast experience design studio ESI Design and with the incorporation of a community feedback process that was led by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, Flea, has been instrumental in guiding the development of the project through fundraising. 

“We’re grateful to support the Watts community with the design of a playground that can bring joy, fun, and entertainment to families throughout the year,” NBBJ Managing Partner Robert Mankin said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We’re honored to be among the many organizations that came together to provide much-deserved recreational space for this historically underserved community.”