Bayleaf - The Restaurant Delight
Brain Gym - Ethical Smart City
Regent Park, a neighborhood in downtown Toronto was set up in the late 1940s as the city’s first public housing neighb8orhood. The area occupies about 68 acres of land and is owned by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC). In the early 2000s, a redevelopment plan was implemented to turn Regent Park into a mixed-income neighborhood.
Service
Tool for transforming Regent Park into an Ethical Smart City by 2040.
Tools
Sketch, Adobe Xd, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Tasks
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Research & Insight
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Problem framing & Statement
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Ideation & Design Proposal
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User Journey & Journey Map
Process
Creating a perfect Ethical Smart City is an ambitious agenda since there will always be challenges and inequalities between the members of communities. The closest we can get is to create a community that is:
Inclusive - gives all residents a chance to meet, interact, learn, and become empowered to change their neighborhood.
Adaptable - able to address the changing needs of Regent Park
Research & Insight
For Regent Park, there is Stigma and physical segregation: Even if there are currently no visible structural differences between housing types, it will become more apparent as time passes when once clean, well-kept social housing exteriors deteriorate with less maintenance. The stigma and insecurities already expressed by social housing residents will be highlighted further. As mentioned, what was a majority voice for social housing residents, now is a minority voice.
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Problem Framing & Statement
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How might we help the residents of Regent Park address the resurging social divide?
Ideation
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Design Proposal
Educational programming Competition
Two-pronged approach:
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Educate the community with workshops
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Innovate with an annual competition
Free educational programming teaching the residents of Regent Park to solve the problem using technology and design thinking to compete in an annual competition addressing issues in the community. Adaptable to address the changing needs of Regent Park Inclusive give all residents a chance to meet, interact, learn, and become empowered to change their neighborhood.
The scale of programming will adapt to interest with open sign up available to gauge interest. Drop-in welcome on a first-come-first-served basis.
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Equipment and Education
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Hosting and Sponsorship for facilitators, laptops, and portable WiFi Space
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Start with party rooms in residential buildings
Competition - Innovation challenge open to Regent Park residents where the theme is focused on ideas intended to benefit the neighborhood.
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User Journey & Journey Maps
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Results
If we potentially start the initiative than with small scale solutions to generate trust and buy-in within the community, starting with the year 2020. Breaking it down into phases over the next 20 years, the initiative could help address bigger and more complex issues.
My Learnings
This was my first time attending charrette which allowed me to see the design problem through 'fresh eyes' from multiple perspectives of my team members. Working elongated hours, teamwork and tight deadlines really helped us in this process