Great cities have great places to play, and nowhere is that more evident than in the vibrant, growing city of Meridian, Idaho, where everybody plays!

Under the direction of Mayor Tammy de Weerd, this youthful community of 73,000 is widely recognized as an innovative community that creates ‘best practices’ other cities look to replicate. It was Tammy’s advocating for more parks, ball fields, pathways, and open spaces, and that led her to the Parks & Recreation Commission and eventually to be elected Mayor.

“While children are 33 percent of our population, they are 100 percent of our future, and we must provide them with the tools to succeed – and play is as important as any tool towards their success,” according to De Weerd.

During her tenure, Meridian has more than doubled its park acreage, pathways, open space, and recreation programs, with the city offering a diverse menu of year-round creative workshops, sports leagues, senior programs, and after-school programs to satisfy players of all ages and interests.

It has been the community partnerships that have allowed for the development of multiple parks, sports complexes, and playgrounds – many of these completed because of donations of time, labor, and land by community members.

This past summer, a water splash pad was installed in a 56-acre park that is Meridian’s largest. A splash pad is part of the award-winning Adventure Island Playground, and is an area for water play that has no standing water. This eliminates the need for lifeguards, which allows for water park fun for the whole family at no cost. Meridian’s water plash pad is also universally accessible, providing fun and excitement for “players” of all abilities.

While great strides have been met, Mayor De Weerd isn’t satisfied yet and is looking forward to the completion to two additional parks in the city this spring.

Congratulations Mayor De Weerd!