On the outskirts of the city of Padua, in an area surrounded by more than 5,000 square meters of greenery and next to the urban park Basso Isonzo (which is still a work in progress), the works for the Treasure Tree are about to be completed, making it the first park in the City of Padua to be inclusive, sensory-friendly and totally accessible to children, young people, adults and the elderly, with and without disabilities.
The project, created in 2016, was strongly supported by the Municipality of Padua and the Robert Hollman Foundation (which is also the lead institution). In 2021, it won the “Inclusion 3.0” award given by the University of Macerata, and in 2022 the Italian Society of Special Pedagogy (SIPeS) awarded its prize “Good practices: a workshop of inclusive experiences and practices”.
Seventeen Padua-based and national non-profit organizations engaged in the field of disability and social inclusion were involved in designing the park. In addition, more than 1,500 pupils from 27 Padua preschools and elementary schools were active in a co-design workshop course that took place in their classrooms during the 2018-2019 school year.
The Municipal Park is completely barrier-free to promote integration and acceptance through play, which is a fundamental right to be guaranteed to every child, as well as providing quality leisure time for both the young and old.
The park includes a slide over a hillock which is accessible for wheelchairs, an accessible swinging galleon and a shell with holes in it that makes it possible to look outside, which has been designed for those who are particularly shy or have relational difficulties. There are also accessible vegetable gardens made by people with disabilities, sensory areas, an inclusive fitness trail to do sports freely… These are just some of the areas that were financed by companies and social organizations that have shown interest in the project.
The Treasure Tree is meant to be a real “manifesto” of the culture of inclusion and intergenerational exchange for a better, more beautiful and welcoming city: among its spaces surrounded by greenery, people will be able to find themselves in an environment of mutual respect, thanks also to the commitment of the associations and the voluntary sector of the city of Padua that will organize workshops, events and meetings once the park has fully opened.
The Inclusive Municipal Park project is currently “working” to create a culture of inclusion with the aim of combating educational poverty, to guarantee the right to play of every child with and without disabilities, to encourage the interaction of different generations and support the growth of relationships and social solidarity.
For more information: www.parcoinclusivopadova.it
