Client is Milwaukee Recreation, a department of Milwaukee Public Schools. Milwaukee Recreation is undergoing a revitalization of the Playfields throughout the City of Milwaukee with an emphasis on equitable revitalization and putting emphasis on community engagement and resident participation in designing new Playfields that serve the community and meet their unique needs and desires. Metcalfe Park is a community that has faced decades of disinvestment, however, residents are very active in community organizations and support of their neighbors in working to improve their neighborhood.

The Playfield is on the site of Metcalfe Park Community School, which also houses a Boys and Girls Club for after school activities. The school and Boys and Girls are key stakeholders, along with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, an active community organization that works to improve their robust and thriving community. The new Playfield will provide opportunities for outdoor learning and additional programming for the school and Boys + Girls Club, however the primary stakeholder in collaborating on the new Playfield design is Community Bridges, to develop a new Playfield by the community to serve all in Metcalfe Park, from young children, teens, young adults, and elders.

Civic Projects has led the design and execution of 3 community workshops, seeking input and discussion on the types of programming, events, opportunities, aesthetics, and qualities that residents would like to see in their new Playfield. After programming input was received, CP and swa developed space planning exercises for residents and community members to begin laying out the park that they wanted, informing the design team on desired relationships of different programming elements; this co-designing process, with Milwaukee Recreation's oversight, has led to a co-developed plan for the new Metcalfe Playfield project.

The current playfield includes a fieldhouse with restrooms and a football locker room, a football field on one side used by the Boys + Girls Club, a dilapidated basketball court and an empty field on the west side, adjacent to the school. The new Playfield will be designed to incorporate the community feedback, including an open lawn for football and flexible sports play, passive open green space, natural green space for stormwater management, a combination of new play features for all ages, shade structure and community gathering spaces, and public art.