PS 34 Schoolyard
Location
Jersey City, NY
Status
Pending Construction
Construction Completion
2025
Site Area
0.9 acres
Construction Cost
$800,000
People Served
13,761
Design Consultants
ETM Associates
Special Features
Leaf-shaped water spray, painted games and junior basketball court, learning garden
PS 34 (President Barack Obama Community School) is situated in the Greenville neighborhood of Jersey City, serving 429 students grades Pre-K through 8th. Jersey City, one of New Jersey’s most densely populated and diverse cities, faces significant social and economic challenges, especially in minority-dominated interior neighborhoods. During the 2021-2022 school year 73% of students at PS 34 qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.
The project is part of a second wave of green schoolyard transformations inspired by New City Park’s (NCP) successful conversion of Jersey City’s PS 30 from an empty asphalt lot to a haven for play and learning. The existing site is characterized by a narrow schoolyard corridor articulated by parking and faded painted activities.
The refurbished schoolyard will feature painted games in color sealcoat field, two junior basketball courts with roll call numbers, seating area with tables and chairs, perimeter plantings for improved privacy, interactive raised garden beds for hands on learning, play areas for tots and older children, spray area with leaf-shaped water sprays, and a mural. This project aims to transform a narrow asphalt area into a vibrant, nature-filled space for play and learning.
Proposed schematic design for PS34 Schoolyard.
Community Partners
Jersey City Board of Education and Mayor’s Office.
