Great anticipation, after the work of recent months, for the inauguration on Saturday, May 7, at 10:00 AM, of the “John Lennon” Public Gardens, which also includes “Betty’s Garden,” a playground with special flooring made from recycled sports materials thanks to the esosport initiative, which collects sports shoes, bicycle tires and inner tubes, and tennis and padel balls throughout Italy.
The creation of this flooring stems from the collaboration between the Municipality of Tolentino and ESO Società Benefit and the GOGREEN Association, as part of initiatives promoting circular economy projects.
After the ribbon cutting, there will be a blessing and greetings from the mayor and attending authorities, as well as the designers and companies that carried out the work.
The project involved the redevelopment of the “J. Lennon” public park located in the center of the Municipality of Tolentino, near Palazzo Europa, bordered by Piazzale Europa, Viale Giacomo Matteotti, and Viale Vittorio Veneto.
The park holds considerable importance for the city’s social life, as it is the equipped city park
closest to the historic center, a meeting point for numerous generations: from the youngest who have games for entertainment and a large area for recreation, to the elderly who see this small green space as a zone of relaxation and tranquility.
The project aimed to eliminate all issues caused by the passage of time, improving urban decor, furnishings, usability, and park safety.
Therefore, all urban furniture elements, whether benches or waste bins, were removed and replaced with new ones; the existing pavement in the central area of the park was demolished as it was no longer typologically consistent with the desired redevelopment context; the play area was decommissioned with removal of all existing equipment; all curbing made of prefabricated concrete elements delimiting flower beds and pedestrian paths was removed, as it was missing in multiple sections and not level with the paths.
The redevelopment was achieved through: planting of new young tree species with smaller vegetative growth, planting of shrub or flowering species with staggered blooming, installation of an irrigation system for the main green areas of the park, placement of new urban furniture elements, in substantially the same number and position as the current state, except for some additions near the future children’s play area.
In particular, the new children’s play area, “Betty’s Garden,” was created, measuring 230 square meters, with shock-absorbing surface throughout the entire area in compliance with regulations, made with poured rubber surfacing, following application of polyurethane primer on the base, in a double layer of differentiated density and grain size, composed of a base layer using a mixture of single-component polyurethane resins mixed with SBR granules, recycled natural black rubber granules, and subsequent wearing layer in a mixture of EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber granules with a thickness of 50 mm.
Standards-compliant play equipment was installed, consisting of an inclusive play system with slides, a spring-mounted seesaw suitable for children with disabilities, two aluminum swings with one cage seat for toddlers, one teddy bear seat suitable for toddlers and children with disabilities, and two flat seats.
Additionally, the existing metal fence and two park entrance gates were treated to
restore their quality and performance characteristics, and curbing was installed to delimit green areas and pedestrian paths with a profile made of extruded aluminum consisting of a central sheet, rounded part at the top, and anti-slip arrow at the bottom, in corten color.
The work included digging and seeding all flower beds, adding gravel to fully restore pedestrian and relaxation areas, installing a public fountain near the children’s play area, and creating a rainwater collection grate near the south entrance of the park.