April 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 49

Every design project finds itself in a
different geographic and climate context
that informs what " regenerative " means
and what strategies will be needed to
meet certain regenerative design goals.
4
Prioritize early community
engagement. Project leadership
should consider community
engagement before finalizing a program,
while there is still flexibility
around what services and spaces a
facility will offer. Early engagement
allows for a robust community
needs analysis to inform the spaces
and programming provided in a
facility. " Community engagement
is critical to park and recreation
projects because the community
is the primary stakeholder, " shares
Swanson. " It is an opportunity to
test assumptions, expand awareness
of the larger context, reconcile
interests to add greater value, and
inspire public investment in the
project's aspirations. "
Community meetings can include
several activities that provide quantitative
and qualitative data about
various groups' and members' priorities.
Different groups of community
members will benefit when
project leadership tailors activities
to their specific needs. For example,
it's not as productive to engage with
children the same way you would
engage with older adults.
On one community project, we
asked children to use stickers to
show us what was the most meaningful
part of the existing complex to
them personally. One child stuck her
sticker on the parking lot and shared
that when her father brought her to
the facility, he would drive through
the parking lot, and if there wasn't
any parking immediately available,
he would leave. Hearing this, other
children agreed and shared their own
stories. This engagement directly
impacted how we approached equitable
access in the new facility and
validated the transportation concerns
voiced by other stakeholders.
It's also important to have strategies
to meet community members
where they are, even those who may
seem " unreachable. " Community
organizations have put a lot of work
into developing strategies to get input
from those who are unlikely to
participate in a community meeting,
survey or focus group. These
same strategies should apply when
thinking about community engagement
for a new or renovated facility.
5
Consider " out of the box " approaches
to programming.
Unconventional and innovative
solutions can emerge from a robust
understanding of the community's
needs and makeup. For example,
Steveston Community Centre
and Library in Richmond, British
Columbia, brings recreation and
library under one roof so that individuals
from all walks of life can
learn, connect and recreate.
The library provides multipurpose
rooms, kid and teen zones,
quiet study areas, digital services,
library collections, and a media
lab. Community center amenities,
including a dividable gymnasium,
large teaching kitchen, fitness center
and event space, are dispersed
among the building. By coupling
the two facilities, they can reduce
their carbon footprint by sharing
parking, lobby space and washroom
areas. It also provides much larger
space for the community for longer
extended hours, particularly during
a community crisis.
6
Don't underestimate the importance
of change management.
When vetting final design
solutions, it's important to consider
an organization's propensity
for change. Water reduction strategies
require new approaches to
how a community pool is operated
and maintained. The adoption of
all-electrification systems requires
maintenance staff to adopt new
systems. Transitioning to all-gender
restrooms and changing rooms
requires a shift in how community
members interact within public
spaces. Working with all key stakeholders
to plan for implementing
new processes and technologies is
critical to making sure organizations
reap the life-cycle savings or
social-equity benefits of the strategies
they are embracing at the organizational
level.
While all of the strategies above
provide direction for adopting a regenerative
design approach to park
and recreation projects, there is not
a one-size-fits-all solution. Working
toward a regenerative future
will take individuals, organizations
and continual societal investments
in our future.
Mary Chow is a Civic Principal at HDR in Vancouver
(mary.chow@hdrinc.com).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | APRIL 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
49
PHOTO COURTESY OF HDR © 2021 BRAD NICOL
April 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2023 - Parks & Recreation
