Many communities lack safe, engaging places for children and their families to exercise and play. Schools have recreational facilities ranging from play structures and blacktop to gyms and pools, but are often reluctant to allow use by the community outside of school hours due to concerns about costs, security, maintenance, and liability. Fortunately, "joint use" agreements provide a tool that lets local governments partner with school districts to address these concerns and open up these facilities.

A joint use agreement (JUA) is a formal agreement between two separate government entities–often a school and a city or county–setting forth the terms and conditions for shared use of public property or facilities. Just as there is no one model JUA, there is no single method to develop an agreement. Successful JUAs require a lot of thought, effort, and cooperation to reach agreement on a range of issues.

NPLAN has developed a wealth of resources for advocates and policymakers to use as they work towards joint use agreements in their communities. These resources include four model agreements, a fact sheet for advocates (in English and Spanish), a joint use agreement development checklist, and memos on liability in joint use for every state in the country. Check out this page to see all of our joint use agreement resources.

Technical Assistance Available!
Do you have a question about a joint use agreement that your community has developed? Are you wondering if your school will face lawsuits if you open up the school fields after school hours? Contact NPLAN for technical assistance.

Joint Use Agreement Webinar
In April 2010, NPLAN co-hosted a webinar with KaBOOM! to train public health and play advocates, including local government and school officials, on the basics of joint use agreements. Participants learned about the various strategies and resources for developing joint use agreements, including model joint use agreements, a checklist for developing joint use agreements, and information about the liability laws related to joint use. The webinar also featured lessons learned from Playful Cities that have successfully implemented joint use agreements.

Webinar Agenda & Resources
Each presentation is available for download:

Importance of Joint Use to Play Advocates
Kiva Wilson, KaBOOM! Training & Education Coordinator

Joint Use Law & Policy
Stephanie Stevens, NPLAN Staff Attorney
Karla Hampton, NPLAN Staff Attorney

Joint Use Agreements in Action
Ben Duda, KaBOOM! Senior Manager