Following its selection by the American Public Works Association’s (APWA) Southern California Chapter as a 2020 Project of the Year, the city of Santa Clarita’s Inclusive Play Area at Canyon Country Park was recently named the Innovative Design of the Year Project by the APWA’s High Desert Branch.

Since opening in January 2020, the Inclusive Play Area has become a favorite for Santa Clarita families due to its amenities that allow people of all abilities to play together.

The Inclusive Play Area was developed through strong collaboration with families, service providers and other stakeholders in Santa Clarita. Throughout the project’s design phase, the City conducted multiple community meetings to ensure the Inclusive Play Area offered the amenities and features most desired by residents. As a result, the play area includes a number of elements that were added as a direct result of suggestions from children and parents.

The APWA is a nonprofit, professional association of public works agencies, private companies and individuals working to promote professional excellence and public awareness of public works through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. The organization’s High Desert Branch includes agencies in Apple Valley, Lancaster, Palmdale, Victorville, Agua Dulce and Santa Clarita. To learn more about the High Desert Branch, please visit apwahdsoca.com/.

For more information about the city of Santa Clarita’s Inclusive Play Area at Canyon Country Park, please contact project manager Elena Galvez at egalvez@santa-clarita.com.