Trust for Public Land, Partners Unveil New Community Schoolyard in the Bronx

Trust for Public Land, with support from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, celebrated the opening of the newly renovated schoolyard at P.S. 107X in the Bronx. The schoolyard is part of Trust for Public Land’s New York City Playgrounds Program, which aims to transform asphalt playgrounds into vibrant city parks open to the community. 

The space includes an outdoor classroom, raised garden beds built by YouthBuild, basketball courts, a turf field, running track, permeable pavers, play equipment, fitness equipment, game tables, benches, color seal art, recycling center, drinking fountain, and green roof gazebo. The basketball courts were designed by New York-based artist Andre Trenier, whose work is showcased in collections around the world. 

“Every kid needs a great place to get outside and play. Equitable access to park space is critical for mental and physical health, and this new community schoolyard at P.S. 107x will provide not only that but will reduce extreme flooding risk for the surrounding neighborhood,” said Carter Strickland, VP Mid-Atlantic and New York State Director for Trust for Public Land. “We’re excited to bring this new revitalized green space to give thousands of Bronx residents more opportunities to play, exercise, and learn outdoors.” 

Sustainable elements were incorporated throughout the schoolyard, including permeable pavers and a turf field that will help capture2,500,000 gallons of stormwater each year. These designs will help prevent flooded streets and overwhelmed sewer systems, keeping untreated water from polluting New York City waterways. 

The schoolyard will be open to the community during non-school hours and will serve nearly 15,000 residents (including 4,492 children) living within a 10-minute walking distance. 

“This beautiful playground will provide a fun and safe space for students and the neighborhood to recreate, while the newly added Green Infrastructure will absorb the stormwater that falls on it, helping to reduce neighborhood flooding and improve the health of the nearby Bronx River,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “I want to thank the school community, Trust for Public Land, and the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation for their partnership on another successful project!” 

This playground is made possible through a partnership with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, NYC Department of Education and NYC School Construction Authority, with funding support from the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF). 

“The Bronx has so much to offer and so much potential. We’re excited to invest in the Soundview community through this beautiful and environmentally conscious playground,” said Jose Mena, Director for the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation. 

For nearly 25 years, Trust for Public Land has guided thousands of students and parents in school districts from coast to coast to make the most of their schoolyards. The Trust for Public Land has transformed more than 250 underused schoolyards nationwide into nature-rich parks designed to address inequities in education, health, and climate impacts. Every one of our green schoolyard transformations includes agreements between a school district and other local agencies to allow the community to use the space when school is closed. 

According to research from Trust for Public Land, open access to all public schoolyards during non-school hours would put a park within a 10-minute walk of more than 19.6 million people, including 5.2 million children, who currently lack access.   

About Trust for Public Land 

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3 million acres of public land, created more than 5,000 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $84 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected more than 9 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.