Beacon Mountain Playground Project
The Beacon Mountain Playground Team (BMPT), a subcommittee of the Jefferson Park Alliance (JPA) is working together to create a world class playground in South Seattle. “With the reconstruction of Jefferson Park, we’ll soon have access to some of the best views and recreational space in the area. Our playground is a featured piece.”
I-5 Colonnade Mountain Bike Trails
The idea of mountain bike trails under Interstate 5 in Seattle was first proposed by John Zilly in his book, Kissing the Trail. Later, the Eastlake Community Council proposed it to the community and to the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation as part of the Pro-Parks Levy I-5 Open Space Park. Simon Lawton of Fluid Ride, a local downhill coaching business, drew up a course that got the mountain bike community excited. Then Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club (BBTC) and Urban Sparks started working to make it happen. Read more 
Magnuson Park Native Species Restoration and Bicycle Skills Course
Urban Sparks volunteers designed and built, with help from Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club, the Cascade Bicycle Club, Bike Works, the BMX community, Fremont Rotary, Red Bull and Trips for Kids, an extensive Bicycle Skills Park at Magnuson Park. It had singletrack trail, log piles, obstacles, skinnies, and BMX jumps for all ages to play and build skills on. The Skills Park was built as an outdoor test area for the Cascade Bicycle Club’s 2005 Bicycle Expo with expectations that we could keep it for a year of two after Expo. Read more
Bicycle Skills Parks
We’ve been working to familiarizing the city of Seattle with the concept of bicycle skills parks. Bicycle Skills Parks come in all shapes and sizes. Where there is just a little space and maybe a desire to draw some activity to an underutilized spot, a skills park can be a small collection of obstacles that provide hours of practice and distraction for bicyclists who enjoy honing their skills. Much like skiing, skill cycling can provide a lifetime of incremental improvements.
For young people, skills parks can be very important places to build confidence and self-esteem. It’s common for student’s grades to improve after they’ve found a passion like BMX bike riding or skateboarding. For active people of any age, these are places of focus and escape from the tensions of daily life.
BMX Jumps
BMX Jumps are one type of Bicycle Skills Park. Right now, BMX Jumps need attention to build awareness around this exceptional sport. Like skateboarding was a few years ago, BMX is still not understood. It has many of same healthy characteristics; it’s active, it doesn’t require scheduling, it’s practiced by kids and adults in a supportive environment, and it doesn’t require much space.
Woodland Park Zoo Children’s Play Area, 59th & Phinney
This play area was another inspiration that prepared Jack to act when he found the property for Fremont Peak Park. Bob and Cathy had raised a large sum of money to help refurbish this play area, so they were amongst the first people he called to find out how to make a park. Later Jack found out that Greg Zuhl led this park project along with several others in Phinney Ridge. Greg was great source of information in the early days of Fremont Peak Park.
The Woodland Park Children’s Play Area is a compact play area with very high quality play equipment and surfaces. It is well worth a look if you have play areas on the brain.
What are Others’ Projects?
Projects we admire and find inspiring.
Annie’s Playground
Annie’s Playground is an exceptionally well done project in the honor of Annie, a little girl who died suddenly at 3 year’s old after letting the world now how she loved playgrounds. In her honor, her mother led this project. We feature this project because it was very well done and it’s full of high quality features.
What are Others’ Projects?
Projects we admire and find inspiring.
Wallingford Playfield
We know little about this project except that it has a high quality modern playground and wading pool on the northern edge, a huge grassy field in the middle, and an old grove of trees creating a peaceful respite on the southern edge.
Friends of Wallingford Park website.
What are Others’ Projects?
Projects we admire and find inspiring.
Ballard Commons and Ballard Skate Bowl
The Ballard Commons Park has finally been built after 10 years of planning and a huge controversy over the temporary-turned-permanent skate bowl. Now it’s a beautiful park with a top notch skate bowl and a fountain that you can play in. Be sure you visit this contemporary park that has plenty of timeless amenities.
What are Others’ Projects?
Projects we admire and find inspiring.
Urban Sparks 