Examples of Joint-Use Facilities
This inquiry project took us to different locations around the United States and Canada to determine how joint-use facilities make designations for the activities they support and the areas open for public use. Our research focused on one YMCA and community college partnership joint-use facility, ten public school/community joint-use facilities, and two park-affiliated joint-use facilities. We found that the majority of facilities tend toward serving as centers for the arts and athletic spaces, although the needs for many communities also extend beyond extracurricular programs. Child care facilities and other public health uses are necessary for many low-income communities that benefit from facilities at either local schools or community centers. Our research concluded that joint-use facilities across the United States seek to connect the community to the resources available within that community but may also fail to meet some of the basic needs that are vital to the social and physical health of its citizens.
Findings suggest a shared space that could accommodate for the majority of community needs could be a multi-purpose space that follows ADA accommodations and also includes:
- bathrooms
- windows
- multi-purpose flooring
- collapsible chairs and tables
- media projector and technological equipment
- sanitation and basic medical equipment
- sports equipment
- storage areas
Below is a summary of the joint-use facilities around the U.S. and Canada that we examined in our research. The accompanying chart highlights the needs that each center meets for the community it serves. The headings list needs identified as basic and necessary for the social and physical well-being of communities.
Findings suggest a shared space that could accommodate for the majority of community needs could be a multi-purpose space that follows ADA accommodations and also includes:
- bathrooms
- windows
- multi-purpose flooring
- collapsible chairs and tables
- media projector and technological equipment
- sanitation and basic medical equipment
- sports equipment
- storage areas
Below is a summary of the joint-use facilities around the U.S. and Canada that we examined in our research. The accompanying chart highlights the needs that each center meets for the community it serves. The headings list needs identified as basic and necessary for the social and physical well-being of communities.
For More Information
GlenOak High School
Canton, OH Hubble Middle School Wheaton, IL Various Elementary Schools Saskatchewan, Canada (For More Information) Blue Valley School District Overland Park, KS Richland High School Johnsotown, PA |
Desert Sands Unified School District
Indio, CA Elk Grove Unified School District Sacramento, CA Partnership between Ivy Tech Community College and YMCA Joint-Use Facility Lafayette, IN Pixley High School Pixley Union School District, CA Village at Indian Hill Pomona, CA |
Briar Creek Park
Wake County, Raleigh, NC Partnership between San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego Parks and Recreation Dept. San Diego, CA Chula Vista High School Sweetwater Union School District, CA |