shirley_p1_rtopic

Research Statement
1) Observe Jack Darling Memorial Park as a public space and waterfront park by, 2) Looking at the relations people have with the environment through, 3) Comparing and contrasting similar public spaces using, 4) The principles of universal design

Background
From my two visits, I have noticed the vast amount of activities that the park offers to people. There are people sailing, taking walks, playing games, tanning, barbecuing, and selling food. There are people from all age groups, but mostly people visit the park with their family and kids.

The park presents a nice environment to the people as it offers benches to sit, picnic tables, washrooms, and parking. There are also a wide range of existing signage that goes from warning people about feeding birds to water safety. The park is also a very comfortable natural environment, there is usually a light breeze accompanied with the smell of the sea and the sound of waves.

Critical Position
Although the park attracts a wide range of people, I noticed that there aren't any handicapped people in the park enjoying their time with their family or taking in the scenery. I think that it is because the park often seen as a place for physical activity that discriminates people with disabilities. This is reinforced by the facilities that the park has to offer. It think that for the park to be a successful public space, they should provide the best environment for everyone, which can be done through universal design.

Image Collection
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**Opportunities**
Future directions that this topic can take is how the idea of making public spaces available for everyone can be carried out to other public spaces such as the streets shopping malls, and transportation areas.

Simple things can be added to the waterfront park to enhance the experience of handicapped individuals as well. These things can include:

- Safety fences - Ramps to get to high elevated places - Specialized picnic benches - Inclusion of braille - Availability of waterproof wheelchairs (similar to Crosby Park)

Resources
// Universal Design //

Universal design is a new take on design dedicated to make products, services, and environments available to everyone (i.e.adults, children, seniors, disabilities). It is something that is last through time and designed for the future as well as the present. There are 7 principles to universal design that can be applied in any field:

1) Equitable use (everyone should be treated the same way in the design) 2) Flexibility in use (the design can be used in many ways depending on the user's likes) 3) Simple and intuitive (the design should be able to communicate to everyone regardless of language barriers) 4) Perceptible information (the design should communicate regardless of environmental conditions or limitations of the user's abilities) 5) Tolerance for error (warnings and possible undo of errors/dangers) 6) Low physical effort (making things comfortable to use) 7) Size and space for approach and use (making elements available for users of different body postures and sizes)

Visit [|C.U.D] for more details (NC State University/ The Center for Universal Design)

// Crosby Park //

Located in Richmond Hill, this park is different from most parks because it is designed for everyone regardless of their age and physical abilities. It encompasses a variety of different environments (meadows, playground, ponds, rivers ) and recreational activities. Some of its features include:

1) The playground equipment is accessible to children and/or parents with impairment or disability as well as for able bodied children/parents. 2) Play areas such as basketball courts (with wheelchair skill training included), water play (i.e. mini waterfall, with waterproof wheelchairs included), and slide hills. 3) Sight seeing areas 4) Trails with gentle slopes, fences, and ramps

Website of [|Crosby Park](Richmond Hill)

// Spiral Garden //  "Spiral Garden is an integrated outdoor art, garden and play program that has been integral to Bloorview Kids Rehab since 1984." (Bloor View Kids Rehab/ Spiral Garden)

It provides an environment that is accessible for children with or without disabilities in hopes of developing their self expression, building a relationship with nature, and creating a inclusive community. Activities in this program include:

1) Making crafts 2) Making bread 3) Planting 4) Show and tell 5) Music playing  Website of [|Spiral Garden] (Bloor View Kids Rehab/ Center for the Arts) // Morgan's Wonderland  //

This is a video of the construction of Morgan's Wonderland, a park built for special needs in Texas. In the video the parents and/or their children with special needs shares their opinion of parks that do not accommodate everyone and their struggles trying to fit in. Morgan's Wonderland is the largest park of its kind in United States.

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Visit [|Morgan's Wonderland] for more details (Texas)