Project Description

The Indy Canal Playspace will be accessible and engaging to all age groups and backgrounds with a particular focus on interactivity and engagement for young children and families.
Canal Playspace
The site for the playspace was selected due to its accessibility adjacent to the Canal and its close proximity to the innovative Glick Peace Walk along the Cultural Trail. The urban playspace will feature a play structure that blurs the lines between a traditional playground and public art.

Project Details

The project is guided by three objectives:
1. Engagement and Child-Friendly Interactivity

  • A space that is attractive and safe that engages children and young families to enjoy the downtown canal and nearby cultural amenities
  • A new way to promote healthy living through outdoor activity for residents and visitors
  • An enhancement to the visitor experience of downtown and added promotion of cultural tourism
  • A participatory and playful environment for children that encourages exploration and interaction with art and the built environment created through an understanding and adherence to best practices in childhood developmental research

2. Artistic Quality

  •  Exhibit high visual impact and exceptional artistic quality
  • Acknowledge and embody the current climate in contemporary public art and embrace a broader social consciousness

3. Site-Sensitivity

  • Awareness of and sensitivity to canal residences, businesses, as well as other landmarks and monuments in the immediate area
  • A new focal point and cultural attraction for the canal and the nearby Indianapolis Cultural Trail that provides downtown residents (including families with young children) a beautiful, engaging, and art-infused environment