Coehoorn Park in Arnhem now includes water playground!
At the end of 2013 in the Coehoorn neighbourhood in the Dutch city of Arnhem a process of social innovation started. The stakeholders living and working in the area were triggered successfully to take the future into their own hands. The neighbourhood proved to be a very effective area to reach individual stakeholders. Together, residents and local entrepreneurs turned a parking lot into a park. In a second step, in September 2014, a water playground was realised with financial support of the waterboard, the drinking water company and again the residents. In the eyes of the municipality of Arnhem and its partner Alliander (regional energy network organisation in the Netherlands), focussing on the neighbourhood level could be a very effective level to ‘reach’ the individual stakeholder. In a first step residents were asked what they would like to change in their own direct environment. Many residents responded that they wanted more green and preferably a small park in their quite stony living environment. In April 2014 the first phase of the construction of the Coehoorn park was realised on a former parking lot with help of sponsors and participation by the neighbourhood. In September 2014 the second phase, adding a water playground, was realised with additional financing by the waterboard, the drinking water company and again the residents. Friday November 2014 was the official opening of the completion of the park.