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App: Park Place

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Mission Statement

As urban populations grow, there is an increasing demand for housing, commercial spaces, and infrastructure, such as roads, schools, and hospitals. This demand often leads to land repurposing previously dedicated to parks, gardens, and other green spaces. Urban planners may prioritise new construction projects to accommodate the rising population rather than preserving or expanding existing green space.

This reduction in parkland results from the growing pressure on land in cities. As cities sprawl outward or undergo vertical development, the available space for recreational areas often shrinks. In some cases, where green spaces remain, they may be smaller and less accessible due to increased traffic, commercial developments, or higher property values pushing out the people, such as low-income renters, who rely on these parks for their well-being.

The City of Waterloo has experienced drastic urbanization in the past few decades; as more and more land develops into student housing, research & technology parks, and high-rise rental properties within the city core, the greenspace that urban renters have access to is disappearing at an alarming rate. Boasting a unique reputation as a student town due to its prestigious post-secondary institutions, Waterloo has also seen a decrease in homeownership rates and more renters in the market compared to the provincial and federal average. With the announcement of future infrastructure projects, such as a new “state-of-the-art” hospital soon to be built on the University of Waterloo campus, the overall amount of accessible greenspace will only continue to decrease.

Park Place, inspired by the iconic and high-value property in Monopoly, symbolises the growing wealth divide in urban areas. The name reflects the historical idea that certain parks, often located in central or desirable areas of a city, are seen as premium spaces—just as Park Place in Monopoly is one of the most expensive properties on the board. However, these so-called “park places” are increasingly out of reach for low-income renters, particularly in inner-city neighbourhoods. The rise of gentrification and urban development has led to a situation where these green spaces, originally designed to be public and accessible, are now monopolised by those who can afford to live nearby or own property in these desirable areas.

Park Place, built in response to the widening gaps of urban green space inequity, is a powerful tool to raise awareness about the growing issue of parkland accessibility. Our app raises awareness that so-called “park places” are becoming less accessible and highlights the disparities in how green spaces are distributed and used in urban areas. By focusing on the inequalities in park access, especially in low-income, inner-city communities, the app brings the issue to the forefront of public conversation.

With greenspaces playing an ever-increasing role in mental health, physical wellness, air quality, the urban heat island effect, and more, there should be advocacy for those who cannot necessarily afford to own a home in a suburb to retain access to a municipally maintained greenspace. Park Place’s analysis advocates for change and sends an urgent message to decision-makers to consider prioritizing and preserving accessible green space in transit-oriented inner-city areas to help maintain residents’ overall health.

Video Presentation

Documentation

Team Members

Harry Cheung: I am a fourth year student at the University of Waterloo studying Geomatics with a Computing Minor. By drawing connections and making applications from the models to our real-time observations, I believe we can derive solutions that can appeal to public and private interests while initiating conversations on how we can better improve our communities, cities, and the world around us. I enjoy playing board games and going on long walks.

Brandon Que: I am a fourth-year student at the University of Waterloo majoring in Geomatics. My interests include transportation, planning issues and using GIS to map human interactions and their impacts on communities and the world around us. In my free time, I enjoy writing about soccer, hockey, and video games.

Matthew Woodward: I am a third-year student at the University of Waterloo majoring in Geography and Environmental Management. I was a gold medalist at the International Geography Olympiad, placing eighteenth in the world in 2022. I am interested in natural disasters and using GIS to address their impacts. I am also interested in using GIS to address ecological conservation issues. In my free time, I enjoy following the Montreal Canadiens and hiking.