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This map shows the location of 11 out of the 12 regional parks within the city of Winnipeg,* and a buffer radius of 2 km for each group of parks (some buffer areas encompass two parks which are close to each other while others only cover one park). Regional parks are categorized as large parks which are able to accomodate a large amount of visitors (minimum 100 parking stalls per park). Crescent Drive Park and St. Vital Park are situated in the orange buffer zone. Crescent Drive Park is located to the west of the Red River and St. Vital Park on the east side of the river. The map shows how the regional parks are spread across the city. Since a lot of the area of Winnipeg are not within a walking distance of 2 km from a regional park it is extra important that each regional park have strong attraction points to make them worth the travel distance to visit. One of the main advantages of regional parks could be considered there size, which enables people to come in contact with and explore an extenive part of nature within the borders of the city. *Little Mountain Park is situated outside the borders of the city and is therefore not included in the map.

“We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” -Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Today there is only one main road that goes through Crescent Drive Park. It is asphalted and motorized traffic is allowed on the road. Pedestrians who walk along this road will be disturbed by the sounds of the car traffic and will be limitied to walking on the side of the road. They might feel less safe due to the car traffic. The path system is extensive in the park but many paths are small and non accessible for walking-impaired people. The golf course is fenced off and the golf area is not accessible for non-golfers.

Main road today

Main paths for walking and cycling proposal

Minor paths and fence proposalMain road Paths

FenceEntrance golf course

Minor paths and fence today PathsMain road

Fence

In the new design proposal is the main road replaced by mulitple broad walking and cycling routes. One of the golf holes in the middle of the golf course has been moved to the south of the golf course and some of the other golf holes have been shortened so that a park space is created in between the golfing area and the park. Non-golfers are welcome to walk next to the golfing area within a safe distance from the play and golfers are able to find enjoyment in seeing and meeting more people during their game. Movement through all parts of Crescent Drive Park creates a perceived larger park. Many fragmented paths are linked together and widened so that movement patterns through the park are strengthened.

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Rebecka Ingemansson, LA Studio 3, LARC 7330, 2014-12-08

DIVERSE VEGETATION. Crescent Drive Park have a broad diversity of vegetation habitats; a dense forest in the middle of the park, an open golf course with an old and mixed tree population, a low maintenance, riparian forest and calm bur oak stands on a short cut lawn in the south area of the park. These vegetation types are valuable in their diversity. By using the different types of vegetation, with different densities, more and less open spaces are created throughout the park. The schematic plan on the left shows how different forest densities; dense river forest with high perennials, dense forest, ordered forest with some amounts of grouped understory and open forest without understory, might be situated so that open and close forest areas are created. The mixture of vegetation types both helps to improve biodiversity and to create a varied park that will be intriuging to explore. The vegetation areas will get their character through careful maintenance. The characteristics of the different areas will be increased and improved by time.

SUCCESSION and CREATIVE MAINTENANCE. Vegetation is slow growing. Careful maintenance and clear maintenance objectives are necessary to secure a sustainable future for the trees of Crescent Drive Park.The river banks need to be strengthened by soil binding trees like cottonwood and willows. The existing bur oak population of the park is impressive, but the future regeneration of the oak trees needs to be considered. A large area in the south of Crescent Drive Park is today covered by a fairly empty lawn. The size of the lawn makes the area feel empty since people prefer to gather in the borders of the opening. This projects propose that an amount of the lawn should be replanted to sustain future oak populations. Acorns harvested from the existing oak population of the park will be used for the new plantation. In order to engage nearby communities the public might be invited to help plant the acorns. Birches which function as nurse trees shall be planted to improve the growing conditions for the young oak trees. In the meantime, as the oaks are growing, the light canopy of the birches and their black and white trunks create a new valuable, temporary site which enhance the quality of the park. Parts of the birch stand is regularly logged so that the oaks will have space to develop their canopy as they are maturing. A high amount of the invasive species english buckthorn have spread across Crescent Drive Park. As a method to clear the park of the bush goats can be rented and enclosed within the park for one or two summers.The goats will effectively clear the park of invasive species. After the goats have grazed away the buckthorn new non-invasive understory shall be replanted into the park. By using a rotating system of enclosures for the goats can the park be open for public use during the grazing period.

VISIONS. The main values of Crescent Drive Park are the old tree populations of the park and the proximity of the park to the Red River. These values can be further improved by making them more noticeable and more accessible. A simple bench might be enough to improve a sunny site next to the river, hammocks in between the imposing bur oaks stands creates a shadowed area of peace and relaxation, well maintained roads make the forest accessible. Some new sites are also created in the proposal to improve the movement within the whole park and to regenerate the bur oak population in the park. New oak plantations are made in the south area of the park. Birch trees, Betula papyrifera, are the nurse trees of the oaks that will temporarily create a young, sunny forest in black and white in the south area of the park.The golf holes on the golf course are moved towards the sides of the course so that the golfing remains in the park but the size of the course is reduced. A formal, green, oval room is created in the middle of the golf course, linking the golf course with the rest of the park. Hedges and trees and the formal shape of the site creates a strong sense of space and makes the area safe to pass by and rest at for golfers and non-golfers. This area is playful with a mazelike character.

The first objective of the project is to explore the current values of the park, to enhance them and making them more accessible. The second objective of the project is to prepare the park for the future and, by thinking about succession and creative maintenance, to make sure that Crescent Drive Park have recreational values for both the current and future generations. The third objective of the project is to revitalize Crescent Drive Golf Course by creating a public space in the golf course that generates movement between the park and the course.

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Rebecka Ingemansson, LA Studio 3, LARC 7330, 2014-12-08

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Rebecka Ingemansson, LA Studio 3, LARC 7330, 2014-12-08

FURNITURE and VEGETATION. Chairs, picknick tables and some of the lamp posts on the site are moveable. The furniture is made in oak wood and stainless steel. The oak wood is a reference to the many bur oaks within the park. The moveable lamp posts are charged by solar panels and can be moved short distances since they are each constructed on an elevated fundament with wheels. The fundaments of the lamp posts are dressed in wooden oak boards so that the fundaments both function as a support for the solar panels and light armature and as seating areas. Paper birches, Betula papyrifera are planted in the hedges. The birch trees are linking the site to the south part of the park where birches are planted as nurse trees for young oak plants.The hedges consist of white cedar,Thuja occidentalis and further in towards the oval lawn low growing creeping juniper, Juniperus horizontalis, is planted. Juniper and white cedar were selected for the site since they are densely growing, climate adapted species, which have high qualities both during the summer and the winter season.

THE SPACE BETWEEN the golf course and the park is formal in its expression. The trees and the hedges within the site, create a defined space, which will feel secluded and protected. In here is a peaceful atmosphere were shade can be found during warm summer months. Groups can meet up to have picknicks and parties in the opening.The furniture is moveable so that people can create their own spaces depending on if they wish to sit alone or many together, or if they want to sit in the shadow or in the sun. The hedges and the open oval together create a playful atmosphere. Small rooms are created between the oval and the hedges, which are not completly predictable in their shape due to the meeting of the ovals organic shape and the hedges strict linear pattern. Illumination is making the site inviting during the evening and the long winter months.

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White cedar hedges Creeping juniper plantations

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Rebecka Ingemansson, LA Studio 3, LARC 7330, 2014-12-08