April 15, 2014
The Huffington Post published a story today on Pogo Park. Click here to check it out!
Latest News
April 8, 2014
Construction at Elm Playlot is coming along quickly, with the recent completion of its new community center and Global Village, and installation of its new disc swings, zip line, trike path, and more. Click here for pictures of Elm’s new equipment.
Community residents built the Global Village by hand, with training provided by Pogo Park and Scientific Art Studios. Click here for more action shots of the build process.
April 4, 2014
Click here to see the Richmond Standard’s article on Pogo Park’s restoration of 17 ash trees adjacent to the Richmond Greenway.
February 27, 2014
In 2009, youth from Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood conceptualized the Yellow Brick Road project. The plan was to identify the key community assets of the Iron Triangle (schools, parks, community centers, BART, etc.) and then stencil yellow bricks across the streets and sidewalks that link these assets together. The resulting Yellow Brick Road would be maintained and protected by the community, providing a network of safe, green, and clean walking routes.
Recognizing the promise of this vision, Caltrans awarded a planning grant to the City of Richmond in partnership with Pogo Park and the Local Government Commission. Starting with a dedicated group of volunteer residents of different ages and backgrounds, we’re working together to get the Yellow Brick Road off the ground. The Caltrans grant has also enabled us to add transportation planning and design experts from Fehr and Peers to help us with design tools and strategies to improve safety and walkability.
Last week, Pogo Park staff and community volunteers kicked off the project’s identification phase. Each day, these residents walked the Iron Triangle to pinpoint key community assets, determine the best routes for the Yellow Brick Road, and record any barriers that prevent walkability.
Click here for more pictures of Yellow Brick Road’s identification phase.
February 6, 2014
Yesterday, we brought in Peter Rudy of Big Chief Tree and his team of Mayan “tree whisperers” to prune and aerate the “Old Growth Forest,” Elm Playlot’s five large sycamore trees. Their work ensured that our trees would be nourished and ready for the impending installation of the zip line, wall ball, and other heavy equipment.
Click here for more pictures of the Old Growth Forest’s aeration.
January 20th, 2014
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Friends of the Richmond Greenway (FORG), a collaboration of over 20 community-based organizations in Richmond that includes Pogo Park, hosted an MLK Day of Service on the Richmond Greenway. From 9-2, the Greenway was abuzz with volunteer projects, healthy food, lively music, a children’s zone, and an MLK remembrance ceremony. 627 volunteers showed up to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy by dedicating their time to help develop the Greenway into a safe, green, and clean public space to better serve children and the local community.
Click here for more pictures from MLK day.
September 18, 2013
Pogo Park’s EPAC team of local residents has begun to conduct extensive community outreach in the neighborhood that surrounds Harbour-8 Park. The EPAC team knocked on hundreds of doors of local homes and businesses, visited schools, churches, and other community organizations to inform the community about Harbour-8 Park – and solicit feedback. This community outreach helps us to design and build a park that best serves the needs of people who live in the neighborhood.
August 29, 2013
Pogo Park took 15 Richmond residents to Redding School of the Arts, a charter school known for its innovative children’s play and art programs. During our visit, adults and children alike lost themselves in the school’s cutting-edge play equipment, gaining inspiration and ideas that we look to bring back to the city parks of Richmond.
The playground’s main attraction was the 70-foot Berliner Speedway Zip Line, the only zip line of its kind in California. The zip line was a major hit with our group, and we are moving ahead with plans to install one at Elm Playlot.
September 12, 2013
In this picture, Antoine, a RichmondBuild graduate, pours cement into the base of Elm Playlot’s future Community Center.
Antoine is part of a construction team that is comprised of graduates of the City’s RichmondBuild program, an agency that provides local residents with training and jobs in construction. This team is now working to gut and transform Elm Playlot’s former Park Office into a community center for the new park.
Hiring former members of RichmondBuild to help renovate Elm Playlot is an example of Pogo Park’s intentional strategy to direct community development dollars back into the community. “Lifting up the people” at the same time we “lift up the place” is a core pillar of Pogo Park’s strategy for community transformation.
August 30, 2013
This week The State of California released its list of accepted proposals for the Strategic Growth Council’s Urban Greening Grant. The proposal submitted by Pogo Park, The City of Richmond, Groundwork Richmond and the Watershed Project made the list of proposals invited to submit full applications. Pogo Park’s proposal suggested greening for a mile-long segment of the Richmond Greenway that would link several already funded projects and would complete the restoration of the Richmond Greenway, finalizing this former rail corridor’s transformation into a community, transportation and ecological resource for decades to come.
