Palmer Park
Port Perry, ON
Port Perry, ON
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Palmer Park is a small park located in the downtown of Port Perry at the east end of the main street. The park is a great location in the summer because it is in close proximity to the lake, restaurants, and the shops downtown.
The park is more favorable where there are planned events or activities taking place. The large space allows for gatherings of people to watch concerts, or host fundraisers and events. The space allows for concerts and performances either by using the existing covered gazebo, or by setting up a temporary stage. The park has large trees that provide shelter as well as giving users a choice of sitting in the sun or in the shade. The park is roughly 75% softscape, and 25% hardscape ranging from wood chips, grass, wood decking and brick paver pathways. The pathway goes around the perimeter of the grass area in a loop. There are two main entrances to the park via the pathway, both being to the west of the park). The brick paver pathway is the primary circulation path and the main way that people circulate the park.
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Figure 1.1: Context Map (McLennan, Rebecca, “Palmer Park, September 2020)
Initially observed, the park was to be expected; quiet, and peaceful with very few people sitting and staying. At 10am, it was 12°C and sunny with a slight breeze coming off of the lake. Majority of the action was on the playground and swings; there were six children ranging in age from 3-6 years old (four males, and two females), and six caregivers monitoring the children at play (four of the six caregivers were male, the remaining two female). In the morning when the sun is rising, the boardwalk, playground, and half of the grassed area was completely in the sun, giving users an escape from the cool breeze. There were 8 men fishing off of the docks, and five couples all in their forties, walking through the park without stopping. There were two women, roughly in their fifties, sitting on lawn chairs at a social distance for the entire hour I was observing, and they were there before I got to the park.
Throughout the park there are fixed, metal benches scattered around the park, all facing the east to look towards the park. The benches were scattered arbitrarily across the green space of the park all facing the lake. The intent being to focus the views to the lake. Jan Gehl states that “benches with a view of the most trafficked pedestrian routes are used most”, this means that the park benches in the green space are not as desirable because they all face directly east towards the water not the pedestrians paths, or inwards towards the gathering space.[1] The Prospect-Refuge Theory is very important in the design of large public spaces, it involves allowing people to observe what is happening around them, while still being slightly protected.[2] This theory is not utilized at the park as the benches only face one direction, they do not face inwards to be able to observe, and there are no areas that are slightly protected.
Sound
The Playground is the most popular area in the park and throughout the day was highly utilized with children running and playing. The audio that accompanies the image features the sounds of a group of children chasing each other through the park.
Figure 1.2: Circulation Paths (McLennan, Rebecca, “Palmer Park, September 2020)
During the afternoon observations the temperature was warmer, at 16°C. From 1pm-2pm, the park was much livelier than the morning which was to be expected. There were a lot of families and groups gathering around picnic tables having lunch, or groups gathering with lawn chairs social distancing on the grass (see Table 1c in annex). All five of the picnic tables were in use by families of four to five eating picnic lunches and some eating takeout from the nearby restaurants (see Figure 1.5). There was a large group of six, likely in their thirties to forties that set up lawn chairs so that they could be socially distant. There was a couple likely in their thirties (male and female), sitting on the gazebo steps on their phones. There were 10 people standing along the rocks fishing on the waterfront and about 30 people who were sitting on the grass area using the benches and picnic tables. There were approximately 50 people who walked along the pathway from the main street shopping core, and 15 children ranging in age from 3-8, playing on the playground.
Lake Scugog is a popular tourist attraction for fishing enthusiasts. The landscaped waterfront draws families and friends to the park to fish off of the rocks. Featured in this image is a large group of men fishing off of the stone boardwalk.
The evening observations were quiet just like the morning, but this time there were three picnic tables. The first one, a group of three women (fifty to sixty), who were eating takeout dinner and were feeding a large flock of seagulls. There was a family of three; father, mother and daughter who were set up at a picnic table near the waterfront eating dinner and had a hookah set up and were smoking it. The picnic tables are moveable which, Whyte says in the film, “The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces”, makes people feel like they have a choice and control over the space.[3] In the evening, one of the picnic tables that was sitting in the sun in the morning had been moved and was now in the shade near the gazebo, this enforces Whyte's idea that people enjoy having control and choice.
Palmer Park is located downtown next to Port Perry’s Historic grain elevator; Canada’s largest grain elevator. The historic building draws a lot of attention to the surrounding area.
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Figure 1.3: Observations 1pm-2pm (McLennan, Rebecca, “Palmer Park, September 2020)
In conclusion, the park has the potential to be an environment that promotes social interactions and activities; Whyte states in his film that people do not often stop in the middle of a large space, they find a lodge or a post to sit on and observe.[4] Palmer park is one large, open space, it is full of many large trees that give shade and shelter, but it does not have areas that allow for users to look inwards towards the space, but also feel protected. The park is at a lower grade than the main street which does give a sense of protection as well as a feeling of safety and isolation from the cars and bustling downtown streets. The park could be transformed into a great space, but in its current state, there is not much that stimulates or promotes activities, other than the playground for young children.
The Park has a large number of benches and picnic tables scattered around the space that offer people the opportunity to sit down and rest with views to the water.
[1] Jan Gehl, “Life Between Buildings”, 27.
[2] Emilie Pinard, “Social: Public Space & Place Making.”
[3] Whyte, William H. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Washington, DC: Conservation Foundation, 1980.
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