Serpentine Maze: Pop-Up Parks in the Pandemic

If the combined effects of winter's cold and the pandemic has you bummed, check out this community-building exercise in the frozen North.

1 minute read

January 20, 2021, 10:00 AM PST

By Scott Doyon


Hazel Borys writes:

Where I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, we have been under Critical Code Red COVID restrictions since November 12. Within this setting, I was beginning to really miss my friends, a sentiment shared by most everyone. While we would meet up for physically-distanced, masked walks, the lack of our usual sense of community exacerbates the uncertainty sparked by the pandemic. This seems to be a global feeling. On one of our walks on the banks of the Assiniboine River in late November, we discussed ways that we could gather safely, stay connected, have some fun, and give back to our neighbours.

Borys goes on to lay out the process for a pop-up park she built on the river with her friends. And then shows how it implements three out of 22 actions of the Pandemic Toolkit aimed at rebuilding local economies and connections. For example:

4: Enable outdoor learning... via use of parkland.
9: Expedite temporary uses.
10: Increase access to nature ... via pocket parks.

Monday, January 18, 2021 in PlaceShakers

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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