New Brampton activity hub - accessible play

NRU
Aug. 23, 2017
By Sarah Niedoba

Brampton is committed to building accessible public spaces, and now it's implementing its policy with the city's first-ever accessible activity hub.

Construction has begun on a $3.1-million activity hub, located in Creditview Park. The hub-85,000 ft2 of splash pads and play structures-has been designed to be fully compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, a first for Brampton.

"Creditview Park is the landmark park in Brampton, a regional destination, and we really wanted to use this activity hub as an opportunity to set a benchmark," activity hub project manager and landscape architect Jake Mete told NRU. "We wanted to do something innovative with this park that would set a standard for accessible projects in Brampton."

The hub will include several wheelchair friendly splash pads, along with ramps and curbfree paths. But Mete says that the space is not just designed for children with physical disabilities.

"We've taken a holistic approach, which means that we've thought about the needs of children with developmental disabilities as well," Mete explains.

Secluded structures known as "quiet pods" have been designed to give children with developmental disabilities space to get away from what Mete describes as the "hustle and bustle" of a busy city park.

Baker Turner architectural director Tim Turner, who served as the primary consultant on the project, predicts that this type of accessibility-focused park will become the norm in the next few years.

"When we were brought onto this project, it really was something you didn't see every day," he explains. "But I think more and more municipalities are looking at these kind of solutions as a serious and necessary consideration."

Turner says that the hub has been designed to be both accessible and environmentally friendly. Water from the splash pads will be stored in a separate basin, and used to irrigate nearby sports fields.

"It's a capture and reuse system, and it's really just part of a design that is intended to benefit the area in as many ways as it can-even small things like, what we can do to save resources in this space." He says.

While there is no exact park opening date, Mete says that the city expects the park will be ready for use in spring 2018.

"We're hoping to have it ready for when kids are out of school," he says. "Then we can see what an accessible space like this looks like when children are able to engage with it in active play. I think it's going to be pretty cool to see that in action."