Case Studies

Natural Grass Athletic Fields: Case Studies

Communities often have questions about whether natural grass can meet their athletic and recreational needs. TURI has compiled a series of case studies to allow communities to learn from one another. These case studies include information on maintenance techniques, playable hours and costs.  

Springfield, MA The City of Springfield, MA manages 67 acres organically and has increased overall recreational use due to improvement in soil and grass conditions.	Marblehead, MA The The Town of Marblehead, MA has managed all of its playing fields organically since 2002, based on a commitment to protect children’s health.	Granville, OH Denison University has achieved high performance through rebuilding a field and using sustainable management techniques.
Martha's Vineyard, MA Martha’s Vineyard, MA worked with a non-profit group to meet the needs of each field and has kept them open for play in all conditions.	Southwest PA Southwest Pennsylvania schools and communities are managing grass fields naturally with moderate or limited budgets.

Learn more about TURI's work on athletic fields.

Watch these videos to learn how these communities are managing natural grass fields to meet athletic and recreational needs.