The City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department partnered with Columbus City Schools and the community to help shape the future Northeast Indoor Aquatics Center through an interactive, youth focused engagement event. Kids’ Design Day invited local children to share ideas, participate in hands on activities and help co design elements of a new community centered space that will serve Columbus for generations to come.
Traditional public engagement efforts can unintentionally limit participation from younger audiences and families. For the Northeast Indoor Aquatics Center project, it was important to create an opportunity where children, many of whom will become future users of the facility, could actively participate in the planning and visioning process in a way that felt approachable, creative and engaging.
The challenge extended beyond collecting feedback. The event needed to create excitement around the future aquatics center while encouraging authentic participation from local youth and strengthening community connections throughout the planning process.
MurphyEpson supported Kids’ Design Day as an immersive community engagement event centered around creativity, collaboration and youth participation. Hosted at the Howard Community Center, the event invited local youth to help co design elements of the future Northeast Indoor Aquatics Center through interactive activities and hands on engagement opportunities. Children participating in CRPD summer programming and members of the Columbus City Schools Swim Team were encouraged to share ideas about how the future facility could reflect the needs, interests and dreams of the surrounding community. The event created opportunities for meaningful conversations between families, project stakeholders and community partners while building excitement and awareness around the project itself.
By creating a welcoming and interactive environment, Kids’ Design Day helped foster authentic community participation and ensured young voices played a role in shaping the future of the aquatics center. The event reinforced the importance of inclusive engagement and community driven design while helping shape a space where individuals of all ages can learn, grow and belong.
