Event Recap: Gender-Based Inclusion at St. John’s Park
On Tuesday September 19th, Women in Urbanism Canada (WIUC) hosted the second workshop in a three-part virtual series on creating gender-inclusive public parks. The workshop included a presentation from Desiree Theriault, Senior Landscape Designer and Partner at Narratives Inc., and was moderated by WIUC’s board member, Sharee Hochman. This workshop focused on St. John’s Park, a 6.8 acre park located at the boundary of the North End and North Point Douglas neighbourhoods in Winnipeg.
Aerial photo of St. John’s Park by Trevor J McCloy Photography via Facebook.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in this workshop for sparking an insightful conversation on inclusivity. Below is a summary of our discussion, key takeaways, and a link to the video recording.
Audience
We were joined by participants from Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec who expressed familiarity with topics of sustainability and gender equity, and to a lesser extent, racial justice and accessibility. A third of the participants had previously been to St. John’s park and were able to draw on their experience of the park, whereas two-thirds hadn’t been to the park, but had the opportunity to learn of it through the presentation and their peers.
Group photo of workshop participants
Presentation
In her presentation, Desiree reflected on lessons learned through her thesis work, which involved the development of design concepts for Alexander Docks, in collaboration with the families of MMIWG2S. In the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Desiree found that the calls for justice failed to recognize the land as a means of awareness and acknowledgement of the harm done to MMIWG2S. She saw this as an opportunity for spatial justice, and to honour those who did not make it home.
In her presentation, Desiree shared the following lessons learned through her work.
Becoming a humble designer - Desiree stressed the importance of being open to other ways of knowing to design spaces that honour the aspirations and needs of the community.
The power of visualization - As part of her work, Desiree mapped the locations in Winnipeg where Indigenous women and girls had gone missing, or been murdered. Through this exercise, she was able to identify areas that continue to generate harm.
Accessibility matters - Disappearances appeared to be concentrated around Winnipeg’s river system. Desiree learned that women were drawn to the water, but those areas weren’t always accessible, maintained, or safe. Prioritizing accessibility can ensure that everyone is safe and empowered to enjoy park amenities, regardless of gender or ability.
Plotted locations of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, men, 2S folk.
Key Message:
Through design interventions, cities can create space for memorialization, reflection, and reconciliation in our parks, while creating safer and more inclusive spaces for women.
Activities
Activity #1 focused on drawing connections between women and their use of public parks. Each breakout room was provided with statistics relating to economics, gender-based violence, or demographics to answer the question “how may these statistics impact women’s use of public parks/spaces?”.
Women earn less than men, and are more likely to experience poverty (Statistics Canada, 2022). As a result:
They may be living in areas of the city where access to parks and green space is limited, or poorly maintained.
They may experience difficulty accessing transportation to parks (i.e. the cost of car ownership or public transit may be prohibitive).
They may not be able to access paid programming within parks.
Women are almost four times more likely than men to have been sexually assaulted, and they often experience unwanted sexual behaviours in public spaces (Statistics Canada, 2022). As a result:
Women may feel unsafe, and refrain from accessing the park.
They may be further discouraged from using the park if their commute involves navigating other public spaces that don’t feel safe to them (i.e. walking to the park, taking the bus).
Parks designed without consideration of these safety concerns for women may lack surveillance, adequate lighting, and clear signage identifying points of exit and entry.
Women make up the majority of seniors over 65, and nearly a quarter of women aged 15 and older report having a disability (Statistics Canada, 2022). As a result:
They may face mobility or accessibility constraints within the park that limit their ability to navigate the space, physically or visually.
There may be insufficient seating to provide space for rest.
They may lack access to accessible restroom facilities.
Economic Statistics Jamboard from Activity #1
The next activity aimed to identify solutions to mitigate some of the impacts identified in Activity #1 in the context of St. Johns Park. Collectively, the group answered the question “what physical changes, programs, policies, etc. can be implemented to make the park more gender- and socially-inclusive?”. Some of the solutions identified by the group are summarized below:
Comfort
Provide protection from wind, sun, and other weather conditions.
Ensure there are places to sit, lean, or lay so users have the opportunity to linger in the park.
Develop areas to promote gathering, like sheltered picnic areas or fireplaces.
Access
Building on the knowledge Desiree shared, the group suggested improving access to the Red River.
Include design elements and infrastructure to support people accessing the park with a bicycle or mobility device (e.g. curb cuts, bike storage).
Improve public transportation to and from the park to promote safety and encourage use.
Be mindful of all users of the park by incorporating strategies to support the unhoused population.
Create safe and clean washroom facilities to support womens’ privacy and hygiene needs.
Support complete communities with the provision of day care, schools, and other services near to the park.
Implement wayfinding strategies that provide clear direction to all park users, and reflect the diversity of the community.
Activating the Space
Include recreation amenities for all genders and age groups. The needs of teenagers tend to be overlooked and infrastructure like skate parks can encourage use of the park from this age group.
Introduce space for all-season programming catered to a wide demographic. Participants envisioned parks as spaces to host food trucks, craft markets, learn-to-skate programs, and more, noting that diverse programming is crucial in engaging women and other equity-deserving groups.
Incorporate community gardens, orchards, and edible landscapes to promote food security and provide another platform for community connection and programming.
Develop creative lighting solutions to improve sightlines while adding interest to the space.
Conclusion
For those who would like to view the full recording, you can follow this link. We hope you will join us for our final session on “Gender-Based Placemaking at Edworthy Park” in October 2023.
Thank you to our speakers, our sponsors, and our participants for making this wonderful session possible!
This workshop series is made possible with the generous support of the TD Park People Grant.
