Constraints:
- Poor drainage
- Blocked views and site shading from bigger buildings
- Accommodating existing programming
- The site is very exposed to wind and sun
Opportunities:
- Create outdoor space for a densifying, diverse community
- Enrich biodiversity
- increase planting diversity
- create habitat for wildlife
- Incorporate green corridors that extend into the city
- Space for afterschool activities for kids who move through
- Improve disability access
- Improve circulation
- Retain stormwater to improve watershed infiltration
- Creating a local cultural identity
- Incorporate an area for dogs to play
- Seed bank
Key Takeaways:
- The future development of this neighborhood is going to change the needs of the park.
- There will likely be a lot of younger people who are new to Canada.
- Increased neighborhood density will make the park a needed 3rd space for locals.
- The park is widely used as an organized sports facility: we want to retain some of this programming while diversifying use.
- There is ecologically a lot of room for improvement:
- We can add biodiversity to plant species and animal habitats.
- The watershed is deficient in green space and water retention so the park can help provide that.
- The densification of the area will subtract a lot of the green space, making the park a more important factor in fighting the heat island effect and for people to find shade.
- The site can deal with stormwater better.
- The cultural identity of the neighborhood is lacking and the park can help improve this area.