Globalization and the advancement of transportation system and connectivity render our cities’ population to be more diverse in ethnicity, religion, nationality, ability and thinking. As landscape spaces are usually «public» in nature, how could the planning and designing of our landscape spaces cater to these diverse demands, needs and preferences from various group of population?
Solutions:
How can we avoidconflicts among the various group of population? How do we plan for more diversity, rather than homogenous solution due to rural-urban migration? How do we ensure the resilience of our heritage and culture?
“Three Mills Green Lido Park is situated in East London between Canning Town, Bromley-by-Bow and West Ham”.
The area offers major scale retail, minimal vintage stores, open markets, a plethora of music festivals and concerts, while the University offering in the area is about to be improved over the next few years.
It is characterized by a multicultural population of young people at their late twenties, with both sexes at the same percentage. Half of the population is English, while ethnicities like Bangladesh, Somalia, India, Nigeria and Philippines follow.
“Three Mills Green Lido Park was selected as a meeting and relief point between these three neighborhoods, due to its proximity to both public and private transportation lines”.
In order to provide this diverse population with facilities that could uplift their life quality and sense of belonging, LandmArch. – Landscape Architecture had to prioritize their human needs into the design process.
“Social behavior and social sustainability flourish by inclusive, participatory design that promotes not only accessibility, but also socialization and safety”.
“People’s physical needs, such as access to food, shelter or toilets were achieved with the establishment of an info-kiosk-restaurant”.
This not only accommodates socialization through which people interact for pleasure or to attain status and esteem, but it is at the same time beautiful and engaging both from the outside and the inside.
The Lido provides people with the ability to limit stress, experienced as a consequence of interaction with their socio-physical environment, while it expresses adequate information about itself and how it may be used to satisfy people’s need to learn and understand.
“Through high design proposals, biodiversity and materiality the park satisfies people’s aesthetic needs consistent with their perceptual sensibilities and expectations”.
Located where it is easily accessible to all and where it can be seen by potential users, it satisfies people’s desire for environments of richness and complexity, while at the same time it provides for security through adequate lighting, universal surveillance, visual sequence conditions, plus a clear sense of entry and boundary limits.
Group and individual seating areas and benches, open lawn play fields and the natural habitat restoration are all designed in a way to provide a balanced relationship between people and nature.
“Three Mills Green Lido Park communicates that it is available for use by all different user subgroups, without conflicting with each other”.
It is furnished to support the most desirable activities, particularly at peak use times. It locates all community facilities along a common pedestrian path that can be used for recreation as well as access.
LandmArch. – Landscape Architecture considered all primary, secondary and tertiary population groups in order to provide social character to the neighborhood. The site analysis included an adequacy of the circulation system to serve the anticipated site development and followed emergency and service vehicle access requirements.
The park’s final aim is to provide options for individuals or groups to become attached to the place and care for it through involvement in design, construction or maintenance; by use for special events; or by temporarily claiming personal spaces within the area.
Title: Homogenous Culture and Diverse Population – The “Three Mills Green Lido Park”, Location: London, Landscape Architecture:LandmArch. – Landscape Architecture, Illustration: Panos Raptis, Special thanks to: John Pegg by craft: peg – Michele Osborne by Panorama Landscape Design, Year: 2020