Kids Together Playground, a universally-designed, family recreation space in Cary, NC, opened in 2000, designed by NLI’s Robin Moore in collaboration with Little and Little and staff landscape architect, Robb Harrisson. The park’s creation was rooted in a community-driven design process, making it a standout example of inclusive, multi-age, recreational design. Terminating Cary’s Hinshaw Greenways, the playground demonstrates how manufactured and natural components can seamlessly combine the durability of playground structures with the health benefits of biodiversity. Broad, looping pathways provide a shady, accessible route through a landscape of trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers. The verdant, biophilic design, equally serving children and accompanying adults, attracts families from across the county to play immersed in nature, to enjoy time together, or celebrate birthdays – including an annual party for the playground itself.

For help navigating the interactive virtual tour, click the small “help” button in the lower right corner to display the controls.

The interactive virtual tour offers more than just a visually stunning, high-definition scan. It also features 28 interactive hotspots with five different types of video resources, all narrated by Robin Moore. These hotspots provide a unique “walk-through” visual experience that juxtaposes research data directly with individual activity settings in a multimedia distance learning package. The tour is enriched with video resources that explore the park’s design and features, drawing on the 2007 post-occupancy evaluation of the park, panoramic footage shot on location, and accessibility studies conducted by wheelchair users. This offers a comprehensive understanding of the park’s impact, based on the 2007 post-occupancy evaluation conducted by an NLI research team led by Robin Moore and Nilda Cosco.

This interactive experience serves as a powerful distance learning resource, enabling remote course participants to virtually tour the park and view video snippets that highlight the design concepts behind this pioneering playground.