Playground that Grows: transforming a schoolyard into a regenerative play and learning park in Croatia

Kolarec is a village with 134 inhabitants in Croatia. It faces challenges common to many rural such as depopulation, social isolation and limited infrastructure particularly affecting young families and children. The local group ‘KORAK’ is regenerating 2 800 m² of the primary schoolyard into a multifunctional park providing children and families with safe play and learning spaces, fostering social interaction, reconnecting residents with nature and creating a shared community hub.

The project in Kolarec has been implemented over eight months through a structured, participatory approach. Key actors include the KORAK association (project management and coordination), Sidonija Rubido Erdody Primary School (landowner and partner), Municipality Gornja Rijeka (partner), Armano Linta expert team (regenerative design) and local community volunteers (ideas and construction). The primary beneficiaries are rural children who gain an inclusive ‘living classroom’, while the wider community benefits from a revitalised, intergenerational public space. 

During the preparatory phase, the KORAK NGO formed a multidisciplinary team of school staff, designers and regenerative architects to establish the project framework. On this basis, the children, parents and community members co-designed the park’s four zones, selecting natural and DIY elements and shifting from passive users to co-creators. Experts were then involved to develop architectural blueprints and QR-code educational content integrating local microclimate data. 

The next stage is where volunteers and local craftsmen prepared the terrain, planting heritage fruit trees, repurposing local wood, and installing bases for a weather station and 10 QR learning points. The final phase completes the playground construction and sensory elements, culminating in a community-wide festival to officially launch the park. 

This participatory process builds local capacity and ownership, combining regenerative design, ecological education and intergenerational engagement to create a resilient, inclusive and interactive public space.

The project’s success is rooted in its participatory design: by involving parents, local craftsmen and children in co-creation, the project builds a strong sense of ownership and community spirit. 

The project is the first in the region to combine regenerative architecture with digital tools such as QR-code education points and microclimate sensors in a rural setting. It draws on local heritage and materials, including old logs and indigenous plant varieties, demonstrating that innovation is not limited to urban centres. 

Main lessons learned are that quality local infrastructure matters. Investing in attractive, functional spaces can help counter rural depopulation and retain young families. Simplicity ensures sustainability with low-maintenance, recycled, and nature-based solutions are more viable long-term. Institutional integration is crucial with embedding the project into school activities ongoing care, relevance and community engagement are secured. 

The approach is replicable and scalable, providing a clear, documented framework for other schools and rural communities to transform small green spaces into interactive learning hubs.