Kid’s Play

Have you ever walked in front of a children’s park and feared for the small users’ safety and fun? I have, more than a few times. Although I am sure that most parks are well-intended, sometimes I wonder: how could they have been approved in the first place? The most easily identifiable element that has a questionable role in an environment for youth are decorative rocks. Often placed around sandboxes, I can only associate them with injuries to be had when tripping on a toy. They can of course be used as platforms for spatial vehicles or even as a scene for Barbie’s next performance, but their use remains limited.

Functionality and play: these are what should be the priorities when building for children. Yes, safety is necessary, but too much safety is limiting the development of youth (Kambas et al., 2004; Canadian Public Health Association, 2019). A controlled amount of danger teaches children to find solutions on their own, which is why German playgrounds are increasingly adding risk into their new constructions (Oltermann, 2021). A surprising example is the Triitopia climbing tower, which has a height of no less than 10 meters (2021). The element of fear is what makes it successful: children are more cautious and therefore reduce risk themselves.

New heights can be challenging, but more complexity is needed to foster imagination. The usual swing and slide sets offer few options for creativity. Unfortunately, safety often rimes with boring. This is where functionality can make a difference: a variety of games and uses, which can be utilized by both youth and adults, encourage play and intergenerational interactions. This new trend in urban planning is supported by the eleventh group from the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (Butts, 2018). Providing game options while outside does not counter imagination but rather promotes it, along with the pleasure of the outdoors. When working on projects for youth, you must ask yourself: would I have enjoyed playing in this structure as a child? If the answer is yes, then you must be on the right path.

References

Butts, D. M. (2018). ‘Intergenerational sites: new trends in urban planning, global trends and good practices from the US and beyond’. United Nations. https://www.un.org/development/desa/family/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2018/05/2.pdf

Canadian Public Health Association. (2019). ‘Risk, Hazard, and Play: What are Risks and Hazards?’. https://www.cpha.ca/risk-hazard-and-play-what-are-risks-and-hazards

Kambas et al. (2004). ‘Accident prevention through the development of coordination in kindergarten children. Deutsche Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin 55(2):44-47. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289942013_Accident_prevention_through_development_of_coordination_in_kindergarten_children

Oltermann, P. (24 October 2021). ‘Learning the ropes: why Germany is building risk into its playgrounds’. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/24/why-germany-is-building-risk-into-its-playgrounds

Surf and turf: what the city of Montréal offers

An afternoon stroll at the Cité-du-Havre neighbourhood in Montréal presented me with a surf and turf feast. Walking towards Dieppe Park I encountered people—not those who dressed like me with shorts and a hoodie—but those in wetsuits or colourful bermuda shorts, carrying full-sized surfboards. I happen to be a curious person so I followed them into a green space, passing through a 20-meters long segment with “No Trespassing” signs onto a trail next to the rapids. The trail has several signs that say the City of Montréal which lessened my worry about the earlier trespassing. Nonetheless at this point trespassing or not was no longer an issue at stake. My attention was fully drawn to those surfers who were already catching the waves on the St. Lawrence River.

This is urban surfing and I enjoyed what I saw. I like to think of water as an extension of urban space. The activities happening on the water also represent a unique human-space relationship. Surfers appropriate the urban space as they maneuver the waves. It was later that I learnt (from an all-season surfer there) that this particular spot has four waves. As he pointed towards the waves I imagined those waves as natural designs on the water and as surfers paddle in and out of the currents, perform with the standing wave, and ride with various sorts of surfboards they are concurrently initiating a dialogue with the water space. In this sense the surfer, the surfboard, the waves, and the techniques together engage in the interaction with the urban space—the water.

The surfing spot I was at is known as the Habitat 67 surf. The trail next to the rapids is adjacent to the Habitat 67 housing complex. Habitat 67 is an experimental urban residential complex designed by Israeli-born architect Moshe Safdie. It was designed as the Canadian Pavilion for the World Exposition of 1967 with the intention of exploring experimental solutions for high-quality housing in dense urban environments. Habitat 67 was constructed from 354 identical and completely prefabricated modules (referred to as “boxes”) stacked in various combinations and connected by steel cables. Safdie aimed to create a series of properties with their own identities hence each housing unit featured its own roof garden and could be accessed from an external "street". Today Habitat 67 remains an iconic building in Montréal.

That afternoon I had a feast. Toward the St. Lawrence River I savoured the surf—the surfers and their performativity with the water space; toward the land I savoured the turf—the iconic building which shows and tells stories and ideologies of the past as well as the present.

Figure 1. The trail next to the rapids borders Habitat 67. This trail leads to the spot where surfers launch. Image source: Judy Chen. Montréal, 2021.

Figure 2. Habitat 67 housing complex. Image source: Judy Chen. Montréal, 2021.

Figure 3. The surfers on the St. Lawrence River. It was truly an amazing experience to see real surfers in the middle of the city. Image source: Judy Chen. Montréal, 2021.

Figure 4. Surfing the Habitat 67 river wave. Surfing is a unique addition to the cityscape. Source: Judy Chen. Montréal, 2021.

Additional reading

The Unexpected Benefits of Surfing (BBC, 2021)

Pocket libraries in the city

I was thrilled last month when I learnt that the school library has reopened. On a Monday morning in August I went to the library to pick up the books I reserved; the librarian informed me that the library has reopened. I remember asking her, with my eyes wide open, “Does that mean I can come at anytime and check all the books I want from the shelf?” She gave me a big smile and said yes. She also said that it has been too long, “18 months,” she said.

The pandemic has brought changes to many things and in various aspects. One thing I missed a lot was the library visit. Contactless pick-up allowed us to have access to books but the whole library experience was no longer the same. I missed the access to the library environment. It was then I realised how the physicality of libraries mattered so much to me. I want access to books but I also long for access to libraries. I miss walking back and forth the library aisles, looking for books on the shelf, and occasionally, peeking at the books others picked up. Many of my library visits ended with more books than planned—though I always brought a ‘books to check out’ list the actual library visit often changed the game. In the act of looking for the books I had in mind, I also got attracted by books that were on the same (or near-by) shelf. I also enjoyed finding the library carts, scanning through books that had been checked out, returned, but hadn’t made their way back to the shelf. In searching for books I found more books and more nice surprises. This library experience is very different from contactless pick-up in which you only got what you asked for.

During this period of library closure, the little libraries in the public serve to alleviate my longing for the library experience. One can find this book-sharing box at various parts in the city. The take a book, leave a book movement has grown in popularity over the past years. Advocates believe that little free libraries improve access to books, help tackle low literacy rates and encourage community building and creativity.

Despite some critics facing these little free libraries (the main critique was on the issue of branding and trademarking the word ‘library’) , I enjoy spotting these pocket libraries in cities. I feel excitement at the first sight of the book-sharing box—look, there is a little library that I can visit—then I feel excitement by the fact that I am allowed to pick and hold a book and turn its pages. Pocket libraries are hidden treasures in the city; you don’t know when and where you’d spot them and you won’t know what books await until you visit the little library.

Figure 1. The free little library located outside Limestone Organic Creamery. Scones and books are the perfect pair for teatime. Image source: Judy Chen. Kingston, 2021.

Figure 2. An old backyard BBQ turned book-sharing box. I found this little library on a residential driveway while on my bike. Image source: Judy Chen. Pointe-Claire, 2021.  

Figure 3. The Free Books shelf located outside Phoenix Books on Sherbrooke. The time when I went for photos they only had one book left on the shelf. Image source: Judy Chen. Montréal, 2021.

Living City Cores: Reclaiming the City One Step at a Time

It’s September, early in the morning. I stand on the front doorsteps and breathe in the fresh air. The morning dew brings an ethereal look to my surroundings and takes me back to first-day-of-school photoshoots. I start walking, opus card in hand, ready to take over the city once again. This time it is real; we are heading back to school, office, library. We are ready, the city is ready, to welcome life in its center again.

Fast-track to the metro: a delayed car on the orange line. Only this time, there does not seem to be animosity in the air. Is it possible to long for an inconvenience? After spending so much time in our homes, it seems that the collectivity enjoys on some level the time spent traveling. However, the desire to get back to our pre-pandemic lives might not compensate for the reality of the present routine. Practically nothing has changed, except for new buildings here and there in the downtown core.

Heading back to the city brings a fresh perspective over the problems to fix and the path we should take towards better urban planning. Mary Rowe of the Canadian Planning Institute associates in an interview the pandemic with a ‘particle accelerator’, explaining that city issues ‘manifest themselves now in a much more acute way’ (Saunders, 2020). Considering the economic impact of the last year, it may even take longer to solve such amplified issues, while tackling the new demands of climate change and public health. What lies in front of us is a rethinking of the human factor in cities in a modern context, which will take years to fully input.

In the meantime, smaller changes will take place, one at a time. Urban design and transportation have been at the center of attention, being fields where modifications can be implemented quickly. In North America and Europe, more space is opened up to pedestrians and bikers or being reinforced through older projects (Leigh, 2020). An interesting Covid-19 direct response is the city of Oakland’s ‘Slow Street’ program, closing up to 119 km of the street to prioritize shared access (City of Oakland, 2021). The challenge lies in choosing which solution will provide the best transition to longer-lasting redevelopment. Only time will tell.

References

Leigh, Gweneth Newman. (2020, September 15). Reimagining the post-pandemic city. Architecture AU. https://architectureau.com/articles/reimagining-the-post-pandemic-city/

Saunders, Doug. (2020, November 14). The urban cure: How cities seize opportunity from the pandemic  crisis to change how they operate for the better. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-urban-cure-how-cities-seize-opportunity-from-the-pandemic-crisis/

Public Rooftop Garden and Respite in the City: Vancouver Public Library Central Branch Rooftop Garden

Rooftop gardening is trendy in Vancouver and the city encourages people to grow plants on rooftops, community gardens, balconies, etc. One such rooftop can be found at the Vancouver Public Library (VPL), the unique building designed by Canadian architect icon Moshe Safdie, was completed in 1995. It is one of Vancouver’s downtown landmarks, it catches the eye, resembling the Colosseum in Rome. VPL’s green roof takes up 20,000 square feet of the available 28,000 square feet at the top of the structure. The roof was initially transformed to a functioning green roof that was inaccessible to the public. Recently an expansion project of the eighth and nineth floor made two new publicly accessible outdoor rooftop spaces. The first, two large outdoor terraces on the north and south of the eight floor, each being approximately 4,700 square feet. The second, a public rooftop garden on the ninth floor, about 7,400 square feet, which provides an outdoor public green space as a retreat from the busy downtown.

The Phillips, Hager and North Garden on the ninth floor is the first publicly accessible rooftop garden in Vancouver. It provides a natural meeting place in downtown with its great vantage views. To recognize their positive impact on the city of Vancouver through their charitable pursuits, the garden is named in honor of city builders and philanthropists Art Phillips, Bob Hager and Rudy North. VPL’s rooftop public garden is designed by landscape architect icon Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, who was the original designer of its green roof. It features green and blue fescue, reflecting the shape of the Fraser River. The plants that can be found in it are native to the southwest region of British Columbia, resistant to drought and requiring little maintenance. Moreover, a solar photovoltaic system, including 52 solar panels, 350 watts each, is installed along the outside of the rooftop garden. They provide renewable energy and generate approximately 16,500 KW of electricity per year, enough to power the LED lights of the ninth floor of the library. As many other green rooftops, this garden benefits the city of Vancouver in many ways, from helping with rainwater, regulating temperature, improving air quality, to providing a habitat for coexistence with birds and insects, and creating an informal outdoor public space.

Figure 1. Vancouver Public Library Rooftop Public Garden. Image source: Sahar Alinezhad, Vancouver, 2021.

Figure 2. Vancouver Public Library Rooftop Public Garden, view of the BC Place. Image source: Sahar Alinezhad, Vancouver, 2021.

The 15-Minute City: Re-Planning for a Human-Scale Urban Future

Carlos Moreno of Pantheon Sorbonne University in Paris draws our attention to “the 15-minute city”. Due to Moreno, this concept of cities goes in the opposite direction of modern urbanism, it attempts to provide a human-scale urban life experience. The 15-minute city can provide its citizens a walkable or bikeable access to meet their needs within a 15-minute distance. Hence, Moreno calls for rethinking our cities around four guiding principles, seen as key building blocks to this concept: Ecology, Proximity, Solidarity, and Participation. Furthermore, Moreno illustrates three key features of the 15-minute city as the following: “First, the rhythm of the city should follow humans, not cars. Second, each square meter should serve many different purposes. Finally, neighborhoods should be designed so that we can live, work and thrive in them without having to constantly commute elsewhere”.

Furthermore, Andres Duany and Robert Steuteville in their article on “defining the 15-minute city”, draw attention to incorporating transit into the 15-minute city. They explain the necessity of a walkable urban fabric, considering the quality of the pedestrian experience, to make the 15-minute city work. In terms of transit services, they consider two kinds of stations that need to be incorporated: community and commuter transit stops. The former is accessed through “human-powered mobility” or active transportation (walking and biking), and the latter by cars. They illustrate that the community and commuter transit stops should be located at the center and the edge of the 15-minute city successively to allow access to distant locations.

Moving towards post pandemic recovery, the 15-minutes city concept is relevant. It delivers wellbeing, boosts local economies, encourages community building, provids climate benefits, etc. Hence, by promoting self-sufficient communities, the 15-minutes city ensures a sustainable and liveable urban future.