By Mark Wessel
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A Southern Ontario group has come up with the novel idea of creating new and vibrant common areas in underused space such as strip mall parking lots.
There is overwhelming evidence that spending time in urban parks is good for physical and mental health.
Yet despite that reality, recent studies show that urban green infrastructure is far more prevalent in upscale neighbourhoods and much scarcer in poorer, multicultural neighbourhoods.
To address the challenge of these park or play “deserts,” Southern Ontario group plazaPOPS has come up with the novel idea of creating new and vibrant common areas in underused space such as strip mall parking lots.
This is an idea first conceived of as part of Landscape Architect Daniel Rotsztain’s thesis for the University of Guelph. (Note: POPS is an acronym for privately owned public spaces, but also relates to the idea of creating pop-up installations).
Sara Udow the interim managing director of plazaPOPS who presented at the recent Park People Conference, says that her group is on a mission to “transform privately owned parking lots and underused spaces into accessible gathering places that celebrate local culture while supporting small businesses.”
And by doing so, at least partially address the all too common challenge of lack of green space or places to recreate in many suburban neighbourhoods.
A prime example of this mindset in motion is the recently launched WexPOPS, a pop-up mini paradise in Scarborough’s Wexford Plaza that will be up and running until the end of October.
Highlights of WexPOPS includes seating areas and space for local musicians to perform, surrounded by several colourful plants and flowers to help create a backyard garden effect.
“What’s so amazing about (projects such as WexPOPS) is it’s a good news story that brings in different people with different perspectives,” notes Udow, from BIAs to community groups to local businesses. All working toward the common goal of creating a community hub on a once underutilized strip of asphalt.
Yet another unique aspect of plazaPOPS is they’re designed to solicit community input from the outset and as conveyed in their literature describing how WexPOPS came to fruition, “we overwhelmingly heard from our Community Working Group about the importance of bringing more green space to the sidewalks and strip malls. And this project goes GREEN to the MAX… including lush garden beds and planters full of native plants.”
With WexPOPS and similar projects in other parts of Toronto and now Guelph, Udow says the group puts a lot of thought into how these pop-up parks will impact on the community which includes conducting public life studies to understand what factors will encourage or discourage the use of public space, then using this knowledge to create projects more likely to be received as a community asset which in turn becomes a meeting ground for local residents.
Reflecting on the transition of Wexford Plaza from a before and after WexPOPS perspective, Udow observes that “previously it was mostly young men gathering in the strip mall parking lot.”
However after the transition that same space began to attract “all ages (including) children, older people and more women. And it has become a place where a more diverse group of people can gather.”
Apart from federal government funding, Udow says that future financial support could be driven by local BIAs and businesses, including potentially the owners and retail tenants of the strip malls where these parkettes are being built.
Her sense of optimism for these projects to become self sustaining stems from the fact that a few years back the initial response of strip mall owners was “they didn’t really understand the purpose (of plazaPOPS) or want to give up parking spots.”
However that perception has since done a 180 degree turn. “Once they understood what was happening (including how these installations became a compelling draw for locals) they loved the idea,” she says.
Apart from the inestimable value of breaking down barriers and fostering a greater sense of community at these sites, clearly there’s an economic ripple effect that cities considering establishing their own plazaPOPS should be mindful of.
