Source: Claude Cormier + associés
SMALL PARK & PARKETTE STRATEGY A targeted approach to enhance green space in dense urban centres Created by Saniel Chand, Sam Casola & Rupneet Mangat
INTRODUCTION TO SMALL PARKS
What are Small Parks? Small parks are primarily constructed with the intention to break up the density of the city scape, and provide a much needed community amenity. Small parks, as defined by the City of Toronto, range from 0.5 to 1.5 hectares in size, and any smaller sites are considered parkettes. Currently, in Toronto small parks and parkettes account for 4% of total park area, yet small parks and parkettes account for 59% of total parks in the city. This large share of the number of parks indicates a significant opportunity to revisit existing parks and reevaluate how these small spaces can play a more functional role in our communities.
Source: The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a. Source: City of Toronto
WHY SMALL PARKS ARE IMPORTANT
Why (Small) Parks are Important Toronto is quickly witnessing an increase in population and density which is making it difficult to acquire large plots of land for new parkland. 95% of new housing development in Toronto is vertical which means that citizens have minimal to no access to private greenspace (City of Toronto, 2019). With the ongoing residential construction boom, there is a growing demand for urban green space (City of Toronto, 2019). With the constraints of dense urban areas, small parks and parkettes are positioned to be the most efficient and non-interfering green form to provide such space. However, while building new small parks should be considered where possible, existing small parks and parkettes should be prioritized for revitalization. With an estimated 885 small parks/parkettes in Toronto (City of Toronto, 2019), there is plenty of opportunity to take what the city has already built, and reimagine the greenspace for higher functional use.
Source: City of Toronto
Why (Small) Parks are Important Parks of all sizes play an important role in the quality of life for residents and are a critical piece to complete communities. However, small parks do not have the size to accommodate larger activities, such as recreative sports or music events, and so small parks uniquely provide the following benefits:
SOCIAL
WELL-BEING
ECOLOGY
WEATHER
Parks provide the opportunity for people to gather, socialize, play, rejuvenate and feel apart of a greater community.
Support physical and mental well-being with quiet greenspace away from busy arterial roads.
Support ecological sustainability and enhance ecosystems by providing important habitat for wildlife and vegetation.
Able to aid in stormwater management, mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve air quality.
Sources: City of Toronto Parkland Strategy NRPA, 2017 Icons Source: Flaticon
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Project Objectives The Small Parks & Parkette Strategy is a short handbook designed to be applied to all parks of similar size, however, each park would be targeted in its objectives. To be designed as a highly functional and appealing park, each park would only emphasize a few of the overall objectives. This allows the park design to be targeted and focused on doing just a few things well, instead of trying to balance countless ideal park components (Open City Projects, 2013). The overall Small Parks & Parkette Strategy objectives include: 1. To highlight the importance of small parks to the urban ecology. 2. To enhance psychological benefits associated with parks and open spaces through comfortable design. 3. To provide higher quality inner block green spaces. 4. To increase safety for park users during winter months. 5. To strengthen biodiversity. 6. To provide more access to inclusive public washroom facilities.
Source: City of Toronto
A Targeted Approach As small parks and parkettes are constrained by their physical area size, as well as their common location inside city blocks and away from main arterial roads, they are not suitable to providing every park-related amenity seen in other larger parks. As mentioned in the project objectives, this strategy is not a comprehensive plan that each park should adopt, but instead a proportional approach to identify which attributes a small park/parkette can reasonably attain. Specifically, there a couple forms of park “themes” suitable for small parks, in which efforts should be centered on achieving. While not exhaustive, this handbook identifies the following ideal forms for small parks: ● ● ●
Parks for warmer weather Parks hospitable in cold winter weather Parks to enhance biodiversity and urban ecology
Source: Sven Hartmann
Overall Qualities to Include Aligning with the City of Toronto Parkland Strategy, there are several guiding criteria for what makes a good, functional park. These include considerations for designing parks with prominent features, designing to contribute to the neighborhood’s character, designing for a comfortable experience, and generally provide space for active programming. This handbook incorporates the criteria in the Parkland Strategy, while also building upon it with suggestions to improve existing small parks and parkettes in terms of their accessibility, utility, safety and quality of design. This handbook should also be used to establish new small parks which address gaps in growth areas, low-income neighbourhoods and support complete communities. Additionally, it is central to the park planning and designing process to ensure parks are inclusive and inviting for peoples of all ages, cultures, genders, abilities, and incomes
Source: City of Toronto
WELLESLEY-MAGILL PARK: A CASE STUDY
Wellesley-Magill Park Wellesley-Magill Park is located on the former site of Wellesley Central Hospital which was closed and demolished in 1998. (The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a.) Groundwork to transform the site began in 2002 (The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a.). The park was planned to be the centre of a new development which now includes a long-term health care facility, non-profit housing and high-rise condos. (The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a.) Named to honor Dennis William Magill, the founder of the Wellesley Institute, Wellesley-Magill Park is one of few parks in Upper Jarvis. (The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a.) Designed by landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and local firm gh3, the park is square in shape, with a walkway to Sherbourne Street (The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a.). Loose crushed granite and a grid of London plane trees are the most prominent features of the park. Bollard lights line the grid, while large polished rocks and benches are scattered throughout the park for seating.
Source: Canada247, n.a.
Wellesley-Magill Park The park demonstrates an underutilized space within the city that has potential for improvement. There are opportunities to make the park more welcoming, sustainable, ecologically friendly: ● ● ● ●
Existing between dense residential buildings and a health centre makes it easily accessible to a large user group The park only includes benches and rocks to sit on, lacking other amenities for a large user group London plane trees are a hybrid introduced from Europe, not a native species (Canadian Tree Tours, n.a.) Though gravel is permeable, it does not provide a biodiverse, ecologically-friendly or sustainable environment
The modernist design of the park enforces minimalism, through which the park lacks amenities, resources and biodiversity that have the potential to thrive in this space. Source: The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a.
Wellesley-Magill Park is about 0.25 Hectares and therefore considered a parkette under the City of Toronto’s Parkland Strategy
Wellesley-Magill Park: Site Images Facing Southeast
Facing West
Facing Northwest
Facing Southwest
Facing Homewood Ave
Pedestrian Path East to Sherbourne St
Facing Southwest
Facing South
WELLESLEY-MAGILL PARK: PARK STRENGTHS
Park Strengths The park’s location in between a high density residential area, and its adjacency to an assisted living facility as well as the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Lodge, means it accessible to a large number of people. During Summer months, the park enjoys a significant amount of daytime sunshine, with minimal shadowing from the adjacent buildings, along with ample shade from the 42 trees planted on site. The gravel ground, which covers the entire site, is suitable for absorbing rainwater. The structures surrounding the park also provide heavy wind protection.
WELLESLEY-MAGILL PARK: PARK WEAKNESSES
Park Weaknesses The park, however, has many shortcomings for its functional use. This includes the gravel ground, which is not only unfavorable for recreation and sitting, but also causes precipitation to freeze during the winter creating a dangerous environment to traverse through. The gravel is also unsuitable for wheelchair accessibility. The park’s modernist design includes virtually no greenspace, which further means there is minimal opportunity to enhance the biodiversity. Additionally, infrastructure, such as waste cans and lighting, are missing. During darker months, there is low level of lighting provided for those crossing through the park.
WELLESLEY-MAGILL PARK: DESIGN 1 SUMMER PARK
Summer Park Objectives The summer park aims to be comfortable, inclusive, and easily accessible to all people. The goal of the design components in this section are to: ● ● ● ● ●
Reduce hostile design within the city. Encourage flexible and diverse use of space for all. Provide access to public washroom facilities. Install structures that encourage physical activity. Grow publicly accessible food and medicinal plants .
Insert picture here
The design of small parks & parkettes is neglected, often only including grass or gravel and benches. The summer park intends to take advantage of the frequency of small parks & parkettes across the city. By selecting a few of the proposed components to include in each small park & parkette, resources and amenities are more accessible across the city as opposed to in those larger, less frequent parks.
Source: The Cultural Landscape Foundation, n.a.
Summer Park Components
Summer Park Design The design components are placed specifically for this site with the following strategies in mind: -
Integrating indigenous healing & self-sustaining food plants Providing seated areas Create desire paths Designing for versatile use Inclusive, year-round washrooms
The intention is to form a comfortable and inclusive space. Through providing a variety of resources and amenities, the park accommodates and encourages diversity and flexibility of use.
WELLESLEY-MAGILL PARK: DESIGN 2 WINTER PARK
Winter Park Objectives As part of a year round strategy, the winter park aims to provide comfortable outdoor spaces with accessibility to people with all forms of mobility. In particular, the design components seen in this section are intended to: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Increase safety for park users during winter months. Ensure park is designed for inclusive accessibility. Provide access to public washroom facilities. Space supportive of year-round programming. Provide wind and weather protection. Provide daytime and overnight shelter.
While ambitious in its proposed amenities, not all design components need to be integrated into a small park for it to be effective. Parks are largely neglected in the winter and become precarious to pass through. By incorporating some winter-focused design elements, small parks have the opportunity to provide critical outdoor space during harsh winter months. Source: Thomas W., 2016
Winter Park Components
Winter Park Design The design components are placed specifically for this site with the following strategies in mind: -
Activating dead corners Providing seated areas Protection from wind drafts Safer pedestrian pathways Creating event space Connecting to neighbouring
The approach here is to create a more inviting, accessible space, and to take advantage of the park’s location in between dense residential areas where there is a high potential for more active day and evening use.
WELLESLEY-MAGILL PARK: DESIGN 3 BIODIVERSITY PARK
Biodiversity Park Objectives The biodiversity park intends to provide more ecologically friendly small parks and parkettes across the city. The components of this park intend to: ● ● ●
Encourage ecological diversity of plants & pollinators, Create more resilient ecosystems by increasing habitat connections across Toronto. Form climate resilience & mitigation and to minimize the urban heat island effect by implementing stormwater mitigation through plants absorption of rainwater
Implementing the proposed components begins to develop pockets of native wildlife across the city while weaving ecological connections through the urban landscape. These small parks and parkettes become a place of learning for humans through encouraging a stronger understanding and connection to nature.
Source: OpenCity, n.a.
Biodiversity Park Components
Biodiversity Park Design The design components are placed specifically for this site with the following strategies in mind: Design strategies: Integrating native plants Forming ecologically diverse environments to attract pollinators Providing seated areas Create desire paths The intention is to form a self-sustaining environment, inviting to both humans and non-humans. Through planting native and wild plants, biodiversity will be restored on the site and encourage ecological connections within the city.
1
TAKEAWAYS FOR OTHER SMALL PARKS
Design Takeaway Summary The summary diagram provides design suggestions to help specialize parks into functional spaces and provide specific programming at various times of the year.
Identifying Potential Parks Several parks are identified with potential for revitalization throughout the City of Toronto. These eight park are all defined as “parkettes”, and are also located near or away from major arterial roads. Some parks are located in areas plentiful with high quality greenspace, while others are in green space deficit areas. The location context and the surrounding environment of each park would help inform which park speciality would be best suited for the site.
Identifying Potential Parks Gwendolyn Macewen Parkette
Joseph Burr Tyrrell Park
(Nelson, 2017)
(K.N., 2019)
Seaton Park
(Garrett., 2019)
Montague Parkette
(C,J, n.a.)
Roxton Road Parkette
(Dave, 2018)
Winchester Park
(Malone, 2020)
Irene Avenue Parkette
(De Leon, 2016)
Oak Street Park
(Drysdale, 2019)
Desired Outcomes This handbook outlines key overall objectives for the small parks strategy, as well as design objectives for each thematic park, followed by the actionable, design strategies to achieve such goals. Together, once implemented throughout existing and new small parks and parkettes, the desired outcomes include to: 1.
Take advantage of the frequency and accessibility of small parks & parkettes across the city.
2.
Increase in number of overall park users.
3.
Serve a wider age range and accessibility level.
4.
Promote inclusivity and flexibility of space.
5.
Create comfortable and usable public spaces.
6.
Enhance perceived safety of crossing through open spaces.
7.
Increase biodiversity to form ecological connections through the urban landscape. Source: http://jordinneumann.com
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