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This presentation details a two year research project carried out by researchers from the School of Design and Built Environment at Curtin University capturing the implementation and initial community impact of the City of Canning’s Wharf Street Next Generation Community Park (WSNGCP). The WSNGCP received funding in 2018 in the second round of the Federal Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs to transform an inaccessible stormwater drain in the Canning City Centre into a Next Generation Community Park – a smart technology enabled community space that would function as a stormwater drain, recreational space, educational resource, and habitat for plant and animal species. The project was a partnership between a wide range of stakeholders, led by the City of Canning and the Water Corporation.
In this presentation, Dr Courtney Babb and Professor Reena Tiwari will outline the story of the creation of the WSNGCP through the lens of a place audit. A place audit framework was co-designed with researchers and project stakeholders and comprised a range of indicators across three domains, which were drawn from the initial project goals:
- Productivity: the performance of the park against operations and management, innovation and activation economics.
- Sustainability: the quality of the park for ecological health and resilience.
- Liveability: the quality of the park for access, community fit, safety, and community health.
The research highlights the synergies and tensions across these three domains and draws lessons for other projects seeking to enhance the multi-functionality of stormwater drainage infrastructure and spaces.