Project Goal: To find the potential suitable locations for memorial benches in Pacific Spirit Regional Park in Vancouver, BC.
Donating a memorial bench (and picnic table) in a regional park is a popular way for people in Metro Vancouver to place their memories for important persons, organizations or significant events. Most memorial benches and picnic tables will have a concrete base, the bench or table itself, with a plaque of dedication attached to it. Some of the regional parks, including Pacific Spirit Park, have become very popular, and have shown a lack of bench/picnic table sites based on our research. Therefore, it is important to suggest more potential sites based on evaluation of social and ecological factors both surrounding and within the park.
The placement of a bench/picnic table site has potential environmental impacts mainly because of the concrete base’s interruption on a natural environment. Once the concrete base is placed, it is difficult to completely remove it. The environmental impact is highly possible to be permanent. Therefore, it is vital to carefully evaluate such site before the placement.