Orientation and Legibility
Climatic, social, and pragmatic orientation is extremely important in defining a place. Climatic orientation refers to the effects of site-specific climate elements, such as sun and wind. These elements can be harnessed and used to benefit a site, but they can also become a detriment through poor design. In terms of social orientation, a place should strive to reinforce community and social cohesion amongst users. Finally, pragmatic orientation, also understood as legibility, relates to the ability of the landmarks, districts or pathways of a place to be easily identifiable and grouped into an overall pattern. In The Image of the City, Kevin Lynch explains that an easily legible place “gives the individual a possibility of choice and a starting-point for the acquisition of further information. A clear image of the surroundings is thus a useful basis for individual growth.”1 Through this basis our study revealed David Crombie Park to be a highly legible space, with a clear image produced through a multitude of strategies.
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David Crombie Park has the unique context of being a sequential linear pattern. It is broken into blocks dispersed along The Esplanade, running east-west through the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. Bordering the park to the north and south are mid-rise housing complexes that accommodate residences from diverse backgrounds.2 Through its sequential organization the park is easily understood as the spine of the neighbourhood, and a crucial transportation route for pedestrians. Movement along the park blocks is streamlined by the sidewalk to the north, which we observed as a pedestrian highway for those uninterested in stopping in the park. This effect was primarily noted in our tracing findings, as illustrated in figure 2.
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An important aspect of legibility is easy identifiability with districts or landmarks. In the case of David Crombie Park, a threshold is provided connecting the high-density downtown core to the east with the historic Distillery District to the west by becoming a through-way within the mid-density neighbourhood. As one walks through the parks they begin to understand the gradient of the community that the park connects via views to the downtown as they travel westward with the residences changing from high to mid density. These views are important in order to reference oneself geographically, but they also play a role in social orientation. As Lynch explains, “a vivid and integrated physical setting, capable of producing a sharp image, plays a social role as well. It can furnish the raw material of the symbols and collective memories of group communication.”3
The park also has a direct proximity to a number of community services including the aforementioned housing complexes, two elementary schools and a community recreation center among other notable features. The orientation of these entities streaming into the park formulates it as a central community gathering space, creating strong social cohesion and community. Individual park blocks also orient themselves directly to some of these services.
Through the public life study, the examination of orientation in terms of a large-scale, holistic lens also led to a critique of the smaller scale individual zones. For example, the 5-7 storey residential buildings to the south shade the southern edge of the park, and this, in conjunction with the large deciduous trees in Zone 2 and 4, creates a cold microclimate that can be pleasant in the summer or uncomfortable in the winter months.
In Zone 2 users are pragmatically oriented by the views to the St. Lawrence Market, a crucial reference landmark. Zone 2 also features the David Crombie Fountain, which can act as a starting point of reference to the rest of the park. Zone 6 boasts extensive views to the CN Tower, which acts as a point of reference for the downtown core. Every glance subconsciously reminds users where they are positioned in relation to the rest of the city. Zone 4 on the other hand, is fairly secluded by trees, leading to a feeling of isolation. This can be an advantage for users seeking solitude, but it can also lead to a heightened sense of insecurity or lack of safety due to the absence of sightlines.
In our tracing of user pathways we found that, since each of the zones studied correspond with a residential building, the park acts as a public front yard for residents. Pathways in each zone orient pedestrians directly to the front doors of these buildings, providing ease of access. Additionally, when one is standing in a park block, the adjacent blocks to the east and west of each park can be seen, welcoming users to walk between them. From any point one can view commercial spaces, restaurants, and housing. This legibility at both the human and urban scale lends to an ease of understanding for users regardless of background or familiarity with the park, and is a key reason why David Crombie Park is so successful.
Health and Well-being
There are a multiplicity of ways in which public spaces can either contribute to or neglect user’s health and well-being, especially within an urban city context. Successful public spaces take into consideration not only physical, but mental, social, cultural, and environmental well-being through specific and thoughtful design interventions. Many urban public spaces lack consideration for the user and certain interventions may adversely affect their health. With well-being linked to delight and behavior, however, consideration for these elements are important, as design-led implementations can help influence people towards a positive well-being. The environment itself can even act as a platform that plays an important role in supporting the surrounding community. This was observed within David Crombie Park in particular, utilizing a series of spaces that provide for users healthy and comfortable environments through the use of greenspace, allowing for community networks, and the promotion of physical activity through facilities and access routes.
David Crombie Park, being situated between the busy and fast-paced areas of downtown and the tourist-oriented destination of the historic Distillery District, acts as a green buffer for those living in proximity to the park, as well as those moving through The Esplanade. Its location creates an escape from the noise, sights, and air pollutants of the urban surroundings, providing a relief from urban stimuli of which long exposure could be detrimental to user health.4 The park is then a key element to the fabric of the area, and as put by Edelstein in Building Health, “investing in park and green spaces should be seen as an investment in public health,” due to the influence it has on relationships and well-being.5
The stretch of park includes a majority of greenspace, landscaping, and vegetation, providing locals with an easily accessible connection to greenery within the urban context. In fact, the total area of public green space accessible within the neighbourhood is significantly associated with positive mental health, and higher quality parks are more likely to have lower levels of psychological distress.6
Within the studied zones, vegetation and greenspace was prominent. Zone 4 in particular had some of the most, with the atmosphere acting more as a quiet sanctuary when compared to the other zones. The vegetation including large trees and wide planters blocks noise and other distracting visuals around the site, and holds the attention of the user, relieving from urban stimuli.7 As explained by Donovan, “people who can experience immersion in nature also find it easier to be more caring and are better able to cultivate relationships,”8 leading to the idea that health benefits stem also from creating networks and socializing within public spaces.
Even more so than natural or green elements being able to provide health, are the social and communal connections associated with a space. The attachments and social interactions that people are able to have within David Crombie Park are a large factor in what constitutes their overall happiness and healthiness. As explained in Creating Great Places, “people are more attached to places with good environmental quality, including those that have natural elements and distinct physical features or urban design characteristics.”9 Therefore, even if a place may have sufficient greenery and infrastructure, it is the availability of interactions that create attachments and reflect well-being. With the park's proximity to the multi-use apartments to the south, the percentage of social interactions and communal activity within the zones significantly increases. As observed in the particular zones of study, those who used the park were generally locals who came from out of their buildings to either play, visit, sit, or walk through the area. In each zone, there were moments of which infrastructure allowed for social interactions, whether it was the basketball court in Zone 6, or the public benches in Zones 2 and 4; with the park itself acting as a hub for the community. There were multiple instances within all zones of which neighbours from the apartments would socialize within the park space; the park thus cultivating relationships and allowing the spontaneous creation of friendships. Not only does this enhance the quality of life, but its quantity, as people who connect more often with others tend to sleep better, report being happier, and are said to be better equipped in tackling adversities.10
David Crombie Park also provides areas for diversity and inclusion, as well as allowance of expression through implementations of features in the park that are able to host communal events. For example a stage within the center of the park is mainly directed towards the use of the children in the area, whether living in the residences or those who attend the local schools. In Zone 6, during the public life observations, multiple pop-up events occurred throughout the weekend. On the North-East corner of the zone, directly adjacent to the Esplanade, concrete stacked seating and a small paved space next to it has been turned into an area that seemingly acts as another stage. With a local orchestra performing during one of the days of study, users began to pause and watch as they were walking through, and connect through cultural means. On the other hand, zones 2 and 4 do not have the infrastructure that allow for performance, but the space is open for manipulation of the users, with some choosing to sit on the grass in small groups, or children playing together within the playground spaces. Overall, all zones provide space for interaction to occur, directly affecting their happiness and well-being while in the spaces.
Additionally, one of the most common associations of health and wellness within a public space is the ability to provide areas for physical activity. In connection with the greenspace and community networks, there are a multitude of facilities or infrastructure allowing for physical activity in David Crombie Park. In fact, living in a greener neighbourhood is associated with increased likelihood of users meeting recommended levels of physical activity.11 In terms of facilities provided, as previously mentioned the basketball court in Zone 6 is a major spot for activity. Throughout the days of study the court was used fairly often by the locals, encouraged physical activity as well as social interactions, and became a space for establishing friendships as different people would swap in and out throughout the games. In Zone 2, playground equipment and open space suggests that the typical users there would be mainly children. We noted that between zones certain infrastructure pertains to certain age groups, and not all spaces are equally suitable for different social contacts. For example, Zone 2 may be suitable for social development and outdoor play for young children, but not necessarily for the elderly, whereas Zone 4 provides more benches and walkable space amongst vegetation may attract more elderly or young adult populations.12
Proximity in access and walkable space are found within all zones throughout the entire park length. As mentioned previously, the park stretches between two major zones within Toronto, the downtown core and the Distillery District. The proximity in access to these two points, as well the many commercial and retail spaces throughout the Esplanade, encourages people to walk or bike through rather than to use a vehicle. As explained in Designing the Compassionate City, “people will walk farther to access attractive, well-designed and large public open spaces.”13 The specific zones, especially Zone 4, are used mainly as intersections between street and home, as determined within the public life study. Therefore, this ease of accessibility then greatly increases the users physical health and wellbeing.
Notes:
1. Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press & Harvard University Press, 1960), 4
2. Canadian Urban Institute, “TOcore Neighbourhood Population Profiles,” prepared for City of Toronto, City Planning, July 4, 2016, 37
3. Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press & Harvard University Press, 1960), 4
​4. Iana Markevych, et al., "Exploring Pathways Linking Greenspace to Health: Theoretical and Methodological Guidance," Environmental Research 158 (October 2017): 301-17, Accessed November 1, 2020, doi:10.1016/j.envres.2017.06.028.
5. Eve A. Edelstein, “Building Health,” HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal 1, no. 2 (January 2008): 54–59, doi:10.1177/193758670800100208.
6. Lisa Wood, et al., "Public Green Spaces and Positive Mental Health – Investigating the Relationship between Access, Quantity and Types of Parks and Mental Wellbeing," Health & Place 48 (November 2017): 63-71, Accessed November 1, 2020, doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.002.
7. Iana Markevych, et al., "Exploring Pathways Linking Greenspace to Health: Theoretical and Methodological Guidance," Environmental Research 158 (October 2017): 301-17, Accessed November 1, 2020, doi:10.1016/j.envres.2017.06.028.
8. Jenny Donovan, Designing the Compassionate City: Creating Places Where People Thrive (New York: Routledge, 2017), 68.
9. Debra Flanders Cushing, and Evonne Miller, Creating Great Places Evidence-based Urban Design for Health and Wellbeing, New York, NY: Routledge, 2020, 68.
