(Re)Imagining Accessibility on the Waterfront

The first phase of the study evaluated participants' experience with Toronto’s waterfront and accessibility. We asked participants to fill out a short form about their experiences. We also conducted several participant observations at multiple parks along the waterfront, as well as conducting a built environment (BE) audit - comparing all BE features to the new Waterfront Accessibility Guidelines. Stay tuned for our report!

In the second phase of the study, Wellbeing on the Waterfront, we examined the relationship between blue space visits and mental wellbeing, what aspects of the waterfront contribute to mental health outcomes, and if there is variability in these outcomes in warm versus cold seasons. This phase of the study allowed us to capture experiences at Toronto’s waterfront and other blue spaces in the GTHA using a digital survey format. You can read about the results here by Madalynne Lawrence.

Principal Investigator: Samantha Biglieri

Co-Investigator & Participant-Facing Researcher: Madalynne Lawrence

Funded By: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Grant titled Quality of the Built Environment in Canada: Roadmaps to Equity, Social Value and Sustainability