PS 34 Schoolyard

New Jersey

Nov 8

Written By Sustainable Digital

Location
Jersey City, NY

Status
Pending Construction

Construction Completion
2027

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.

Phase 1 on the project was completed in summer 2025 with the installation of a new mural by artist El Cekis titled “The School is Like a Garden".