Garden Variety

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s newest landscape engages young visitors— environmentally, socially, and educationally.

- Anjulie Rao

At the new Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) Regenstein Learning Campus, the landscape encourages children’s sensory discovery of the natural world—minus the gaudiness of plastic playgrounds or an overprescription of experiences. In lieu of sandboxes and jungle gyms, Mikyoung Kim Design elegantly weaves a narrative of outdoor exploration that entices kids to encounter nature through imaginative free play, instilling body confidence. The space is quite different from the CBG’s main, preexisting campus—a vast landscape of manicured gardens that, while a feast for the eyes, aren’t particularly conducive to the effervescent energy of its younger visitors.