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02-01-2018, 09:41 AM (This post was last modified: 02-01-2018, 09:50 AM by panamaniac.)
(02-01-2018, 09:37 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(02-01-2018, 08:51 AM)tomh009 Wrote: But if you're limiting "downtown parks" to the space between Weber and Charles, then you really are saying that the playgrounds must be right next to the people living downtown.
I personally think 3-4 blocks away from one's house or apartment is still very close: playgrounds are not frequently used by elderly or disabled people.
I don't think it's fair to say elderly and disabled people don't use parks.
They don't use playgrounds....but they do use parks. Some parks are not much more than a playground, but that doesn't have to be the case.
As we saw in a thread from quite some time ago, DTK has a significant number of places to sit and relax, including a number of very pleasant green spots. Again, not what everyone, including seniors, is looking for, but they are there.
(02-01-2018, 09:37 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: I don't think it's fair to say elderly and disabled people don't use parks.
They don't use playgrounds....but they do use parks. Some parks are not much more than a playground, but that doesn't have to be the case.
As we saw in a thread from quite some time ago, DTK has a significant number of places to sit and relax, including a number of very pleasant green spots. Again, not what everyone, including seniors, is looking for, but they are there.
Edit: This reminds me that, as part of the coming Queen St refurbishment, there will be a mini-green space created at the corner of Queen and Charles.
Downtown Kitchener is well-served with sitting areas and small green spaces to relax. No doubt. I was talking specifically about playgrounds for kids, which can be small but still very useful, and which downtown is lacking. Tom is right that those are not often used by disabled people or older people (but are used by their kids and grandkids).
02-01-2018, 11:17 AM (This post was last modified: 02-01-2018, 11:27 AM by panamaniac.)
(02-01-2018, 10:44 AM)MidTowner Wrote:
(02-01-2018, 09:41 AM)panamaniac Wrote: As we saw in a thread from quite some time ago, DTK has a significant number of places to sit and relax, including a number of very pleasant green spots. Again, not what everyone, including seniors, is looking for, but they are there.
Edit: This reminds me that, as part of the coming Queen St refurbishment, there will be a mini-green space created at the corner of Queen and Charles.
Downtown Kitchener is well-served with sitting areas and small green spaces to relax. No doubt. I was talking specifically about playgrounds for kids, which can be small but still very useful, and which downtown is lacking. Tom is right that those are not often used by disabled people or older people (but are used by their kids and grandkids).
It's true - the only "play amenity" I can think of right Downtown would be at THEMUSEUM and that is private and paid admission. Apart from that, there's the pre-schoolers "Kids Hop" music/dance thing at the Market, but that's just a twice-a-month event (although it is very well attended).
(02-01-2018, 09:37 AM)panamaniac Wrote: An example of how Ottawa does parklets - designed by students at the Carleton School of Architecture, cost $20,000:
I like this much better than the Montreal shipping containers!
An easy way for Kitchener to encourage more green space is to either:
a) set aside some of the current surface parking lot foot print for public green space
b) compel developers to leave a portion of their property as privately-owned-public-space
c) encourage/maintain set backs from existing sidewalks to allow benches, trees, or other public amenities that invite street activity rather than hard urban surface that encourage swift passage to a destination.
(02-02-2018, 02:27 PM)nms Wrote: An easy way for Kitchener to encourage more green space is to either:
a) set aside some of the current surface parking lot foot print for public green space b) compel developers to leave a portion of their property as privately-owned-public-space c) encourage/maintain set backs from existing sidewalks to allow benches, trees, or other public amenities that invite street activity rather than hard urban surface that encourage swift passage to a destination.
Compelling developers to do this would require changes to the zoning definitions.
An easier one would be to offer developers a trade, increased density or reduced setbacks in exchange for publicly-accessible green space.
(02-02-2018, 02:27 PM)nms Wrote: An easy way for Kitchener to encourage more green space is to either:
a) set aside some of the current surface parking lot foot print for public green space b) compel developers to leave a portion of their property as privately-owned-public-space c) encourage/maintain set backs from existing sidewalks to allow benches, trees, or other public amenities that invite street activity rather than hard urban surface that encourage swift passage to a destination.
Compelling developers to do this would require changes to the zoning definitions.
An easier one would be to offer developers a trade, increased density or reduced setbacks in exchange for publicly-accessible green space.
That makes sense, but I wonder about it in a DTK context. I don't have the sense that there's much push-back from the City wrt developers seeking increased density, or am I wrong about that?
One option is also to commit to maintaining certain setbacks that leaves room for trees, benches, or other private-public space and/or plazas. Allowing properties to be developed right up to lot lines creates claustrophobic public spaces, particularly when the existing right-of-ways (eg streets) are widened to accommodate transportation infrastructure.
Engage Kitchener: Victoria Park Master Plan
As the oldest park in Kitchener, established in 1896, Victoria Park has grown into a highly treasured public space at the core of the city. To maintain this invaluable asset, we are updating the Victoria Park Master Plan, a guiding document for how we support the park’s infrastructure long-term.
To update the plan, we will re-assess both public and City priorities within Victoria Park. We will review existing conditions and amenities in the park, as well as analyze how the park is being used and how it will need to support the community in the future. This data-driven process will help us develop a 10-year plan for how the park is improved, maintained, and operated. For more information, read how we will develop the Master Plan.
Sensors to be temporarily installed in Victoria Park
As part of the Victoria Park Master Plan, the City of Kitchener is installing visual sensors throughout Victoria Park. These will help us gather information on how the park is being used and how it can be improved to better serve Kitchener residents. They will be in place for approximately one year.
(06-07-2024, 03:57 PM)Acitta Wrote: Engage Kitchener: Victoria Park Master Plan
As the oldest park in Kitchener, established in 1896, Victoria Park has grown into a highly treasured public space at the core of the city. To maintain this invaluable asset, we are updating the Victoria Park Master Plan, a guiding document for how we support the park’s infrastructure long-term.
To update the plan, we will re-assess both public and City priorities within Victoria Park. We will review existing conditions and amenities in the park, as well as analyze how the park is being used and how it will need to support the community in the future. This data-driven process will help us develop a 10-year plan for how the park is improved, maintained, and operated. For more information, read how we will develop the Master Plan.
I know this topic has been discussed here plenty, but hopefully part of the discussion extends beyond the park itself. For me the two biggest issues are the intersection of overcrowding and active transportation, both of which can be solved outside of the park. Things like providing similar amenities at other parks, expanding other parks, and continuing with active transportation alternative routes.
06-08-2024, 03:55 AM (This post was last modified: 06-08-2024, 03:56 AM by danbrotherston.)
(06-08-2024, 02:01 AM)dtkvictim Wrote:
(06-07-2024, 03:57 PM)Acitta Wrote: Engage Kitchener: Victoria Park Master Plan
As the oldest park in Kitchener, established in 1896, Victoria Park has grown into a highly treasured public space at the core of the city. To maintain this invaluable asset, we are updating the Victoria Park Master Plan, a guiding document for how we support the park’s infrastructure long-term.
To update the plan, we will re-assess both public and City priorities within Victoria Park. We will review existing conditions and amenities in the park, as well as analyze how the park is being used and how it will need to support the community in the future. This data-driven process will help us develop a 10-year plan for how the park is improved, maintained, and operated. For more information, read how we will develop the Master Plan.
I know this topic has been discussed here plenty, but hopefully part of the discussion extends beyond the park itself. For me the two biggest issues are the intersection of overcrowding and active transportation, both of which can be solved outside of the park. Things like providing similar amenities at other parks, expanding other parks, and continuing with active transportation alternative routes.
This is strongly on point...but I also think it's antithetical to how planning in Canada works. The Park Master Plan will exist in isolation. It can say "well the city should develop other transportation routes to relieve pressure on the park" but then the city's transportation plan will say "funnel as many people through the park because it's convenient", and everyone will agree that's absurd, and then continue to do it anyway.
(By the way, I say "transportation" because the park ALSO has cars funnelled through it, which is far more absurd than the bikes).
