Christina Marchant and Jennifer Thériault are working on a project to transform Dundonald Park.
Centretown residents living near Dundonald Park, a heritage site in Ottawa, may feel more inclined to visit the green space after a project partnership between 8-80 Cities and the Centretown Community Health Centre.
The park, located at the corner of Somerset Street West and Bay, is one of eight parks across the province and the only one in Ottawa chosen by 8-80 Cities as part of a two-year project aimed at promoting urban parks as accessible and safe for everyone, ages 8 to 80.
Emily Munroe, director of partnership and programs at the Toronto-based charitable organization 8-80 Cities, says Dundonald Park was chosen because of its location and because it is underperforming as a public space.
“It’s just a nice urban park that really seems like it could be a wonderful addition to the community if it’s as well programmed as it could be,” she says.
Munroe says the goal of 8-80 Cities project is to empower communities with the tools to transform underperforming parks into vibrant community venues that promote social interaction, residential involvement, mental health, and well being for all.
8-80 Cities is a not-for-profit Canadian organization started by influential social marketing strategist Gil Penalosa, whose goal is to contribute to creating vibrant and healthy Canadian cities and communities. It promotes walking, bicycling and urban parks and paths as a way to fulfill this goal.
Its current project received two-year funding from the Ontario government in the summer of 2011 and will be working with the eight chosen sites for six months this year.
Munroe says these six months will focus on community engagement and meeting with various stakeholders to assess the current challenges facing the area and what the community would like to see improved.
The organization will meet with seniors in the area, youth, local businesses and city staff to get their expertise.
Munroe emphasizes the idea of the project as a way to represent the entire community’s desires equally.
The idea of creating cities for everyone – young and old – is something she says she finds people have responded well to and have connected with.
“We do feel we’ve been trapped in cities that are great for 30-year-old athletic people and not cities that are great for people with all abilities,” Munroe says.
Another concept that made Dundonald Park an attractive choice for the project was the possible partnership with the nearby Centretown Community Health Centre.
Christina Marchant, director of community health promotion and early years at the health centre, says the CCHC been working to make better use of Dundonald Park for a year now and are seeing an increased community appetite in using the park.
The centre brought in walking groups, meditation clubs and Tai Chi events, all in an attempt to create a more inviting and accessible atmosphere within the park.
“We noticed that the more we were there, the more people were interested in playing, engaging and talking with us. That was the first step,” Marchant says.
Still, Marchant says despite the allure of the park, it’s seen as one of the most dangerous in the area. It has been an appealing hang out for those wishing to drink and smoke in the past.
Nick Giardini, a University of Ottawa student who lives near the park, says he began to feel unsafe when noticing loud individuals and homeless people drinking on the park benches.
Despite the safety problems, he says he thinks the park holds promise.
“It has a certain edgy flair that I find attractive. If there were more of a community presence, I would absolutely spend more time there,” Giardini says.