Visitor Management for Hamilton's Waterfalls

How can we ensure that Hamilton’s Waterfalls are not ‘loved to death’?

Project Description:

All natural spaces within the City of Hamilton are experiencing increased amounts of visitors (especially during fall colour season and a particularly popular area is the Spencer Gorge Conservation Area for three natural areas; Webster Falls, Tew Falls and Dundas Peak)

The increased volume in visitors has contributed to unwanted visitor behaviours which have been occurring at these natural spaces. Issues like increased garbage, littering, overcrowding, congested roadways and street parking as parking lots fill, trespass on private properties, accidental slips and falls.

This is placing pressures on the environment, nearby residents, community, EMS services, City of Hamilton and Hamilton Conservation Authority staff

How can we ensure a balance is struck between access to nature and overloading our natural spaces and the communities in which they may be found?

What is the current trend for visitor management in natural spaces across Canada?

How can we offer the best visitor experience while protecting the environment, natural habitat, neighbouring communities, and mitigating safety/risk concerns?

Ensuring the Spencer Gorge Conservation Area is not "Loved to Death"?

Students: Andrea, Calvin, Brooklyn, Nolan, Jade

City Staff: Sylvia Sadowski, Planning and Economic Development

Faculty, Course & Students: Karen Dieleman, Redeemer University, CTS 410 Core capstone Experience (5-6 students)

Goal: To prepare recommendations for managing access to Hamilton’s waterfalls that balance the protection of habitat and people with positive visitor experience.

Deliverables: Recommendation report or guidelines, Presentation to Waterfall Motion Working Group at end of course (possibly virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions), Presentation at CityLab likely virtual

View Project Agreement

COVID-19 Effects on Parkland

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed how people use and value parkland?

Project Description:

The Landscape Architectural Services team leads parkland, trails, and open space development for the City of Hamilton. Experience has shown that although people intuitively understand the value of parkland, empirical evidence of its benefits is missing. This gap in evidence has sometimes meant proposed projects fail to get economic or political support. As the downtown population intensifies and budget challenges arise, we need more research data to show how the city benefits from the creation of parklands. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its probable change in people’s use of parkland, is an opportune time to conduct this research.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that people use parks, trails, and open spaces in our City and we want to better understand the changes that have taken place. We seek to answer the following questions:

1. How has usage of parkland and open space changed before, during and after the COVID-19 emergency? How have perceptions changed?

2. Are there regional or spatial differences? Do people with less access to private open spaces (i.e backyards) value the public ones more after COVID-19?

3. Are there correlations with mental health, physical health, weight gain, and other factors related to the lockdown versus access to local open spaces and parks?

This project will help staff better understand the use, perception, and value of parks, as well as inform the placement of open spaces across the city in the context of a pandemic .

City Staff: Cynthia Graham, Manager, Landscape Architectural Services, Public Works

Faculty, Course & Students:

Karen Dieleman, Redeemer University, CTS 410 Core capstone Experience (5-6 students)

Allison Williams, McMaster University, GEO4HC3 Geographies of Public Health (25 students)

Goal: To better understand the use of green public space, as impacted by COVID-19.

Deliverables: Primary Research (i.e. conducting surveys and/or collecting data)

View Redeemer Project Agreement

View McMaster Project Agreement

McMaster University Project:

Impacts of COVID-19 on human mobility and behaviors of recreationists

Student: Veronica Zhu

Redeemer University Project:

A study on the impact of Gage Park usage on well-being

Students: Sarah Snider, Benjamin Ashun, Spencer Kerssies, and Jacob Houzer

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BACKGROUND OF THIS PROJECT CHECK OUT THE MATCH MAKER DISCUSSION WITH CYNTHIA GRAHAM BELOW

Connecting Families with Loved Ones in Long-Term Care

How can we create an electronic platform for families to better engage in the lives of their loved ones in long-term care facilities at the city?

Project Description: The City of Hamilton operates two long-term care homes – Macassa and Wentworth Lodge. Staff at the Lodges have identified that there is a need to improve the way in which information is communicated to families about residents in long-term care. With the presence of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that long-term care homes are keeping open communication with families on the status of the homes. It is also important to look for new and creative ways to connect families with their loved ones while still maintaining the safety of all residents, staff, and family members. The Lodges are interested in exploring opportunities to communicate with families in real time – for example through activity calendars where family members can see the activities their loved ones are engaged in daily.

The end goal for the Lodges would be to implement an electronic platform that allows families to better connect and engage in the lives of their loved ones in long-term care facilities at the City. The Lodges see students being able to successfully support this project by conducting primary research into the communication needs and desires of families and residents including the type of information, frequency of communication and delivery methods. It is also envisioned that students would play a role in conducting secondary research on best practices and available technology options with a business case for recommendations based on outcomes of research. Development or implementation of any technical solutions would be out of scope.

City Staff: Jenn Hohol, Senior Project Manager, Healthy and Safe Communities

Faculty, Course, & Students:

Karen Dieleman, Redeemer University, CTS Core Capstone (5-6 students)

Cynthia Lokker, McMaster University, eHealth/HRM 724: Fundamentals of eHealth and the Canadian Health Care System (53 students)

Dr. Zobia Jawed, McMaster University, Master’s Engineering Design Project (2 students)

Deliverables: Primary Research (i.e. conducting surveys and/or collecting data), Secondary Research (i.e. review of literature and finding information from books and online), Business Case, and Developing a Website. End goal would be the recommendation of an electronic solution, however, focus for this term of would be research into what requirements would be needed. Scope of building solution would be anticipated to be too large for a single term.

Location: City-Wide, The Lodges are located in Ward 13 (Wentworth Lodge) and Ward 7 (Macassa Lodge), however, residents and families can come from anywhere across (or outside of) the City.

Project Agreement Redeemer

Project Agreement McMaster eHealth

Project Agreement McMaster Engineering

Redeemer University Project:

Researching communication improvements in Hamilton’s LTC Homes

Students: Sophia Bradbury,Maria Gonzalez, Kaitlyn Hogeterp, Gichan Hong, Chloe Rozema

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McMaster University Projects:

Technology for communicating between LTC homes and families.

Students: Aliyah Ahmed, Tanzil Sadid, Christopher Eastick, Marvelyn Oni, Tamara Mohanavathanan

Course: eHealth 724: Fundamentals of eHealth and the Canadian Health Care System

Communication Needs Of Long Term Care Homes and Residents' Loved Ones

Students: Ariba Alam, Bahram Rahman, Vernon Schneider, Ryan Strum, Bahiyyih Schmalenberg

Course: EHEALTH 724:Fundamentals of eHealth and the Canadian Health Care System - HTHRSM 724

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An implementation guide to making communication change that sticks.

Students: Sandeep Kumar, Viscardi, Virginia, Serrina Gunanayagam, Macbeth Vaz, Mira Makan

Instructor and Course: Cynthia Lokker, e-Health HRM 724, e-Health Program

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BACKGROUND OF THIS PROJECT CHECK OUT THE MATCH MAKER DISCUSSION BELOW