How can Hamilton maximize community engagement and citizens needs in the development of a Master Parks Plan?
Building a Climate Change Resiliency Program
Complete Streets Ward 1 Intersection Makeover Project
Transit’s Role in Enhancing Community Sustainability and Improving Quality of Life
How can we identify transit solutions and strategies that increase health and safety while balancing the needs of the greater community?
Project Description: Community organizations and government departments alike are often hard-pressed to deliver evidence-based research to support their program planning. In the rapidly changing context of COVID-19, access to reliable and fast research for a variety of health-related questions is more important than ever. Identifying the best evidence to inform program development is an urgent priority that requires multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure the bet result.
COVID-19 has uprooted the way in which many social and health services/programs are offered in the community; therefore, such organizations may need help with identifying the best evidence to inform decision-making for program planning. Public Health students at McMaster University enrolled in the Leadership and Applied Public Health course worked in groups of 3-4 and provided consolidated and actionable reports to inform best practices for program development.
City Staff: Ali Sabourin - Customer Experience and Innovation Manager - HSR
Faculty, Course, and Students: Emma Apatu (McMaster University), Sarah Neil-Sztramko (McMaster University), Leadership & Applied Public Health (30 students)
Student reports and findings (Videos, Infographic, Sample Reports):
Nelda Cherrier, Stephanie Hopkins, Joanne Kearon & Robin Tetreault
Sample Reports:
Report Infographic:
Where will the work go? Input into Customer Experience and Innovation planning and relevant strategic documents (e.g.: (Re)envision HSR)
Testing and Tracing Contaminants in Chedoke Creek
How can we precisely identify and eliminate pollutant sources in our watershed?
Project Description: Rehabilitating our urban river systems from centuries of human impact is highly beneficial from a triple bottom line perspective, yet complex to achieve. Pollutant discharges to the environment can occur from a variety of sources, including storm sewers, combined sewers, and from unknown sanitary sewer cross-connections. To improve the water quality in the urban river systems, it is important to identify, regulate, and minimize sources of pollutants to each receiver. The identification of the pollutant sources is key - like 'contact tracing' of a virus. Confirming the precise sources is important, so that there is certainty in knowing that the effort you put into eliminating the source will be worth the time and cost.
For this challenge, we are looking for new ideas to help improve the Chedoke Creek subwatershed by better tracing the contributing pollutants. The developed solutions should however consider flexible application in any of Hamilton's subwatersheds.
City Staff: Christina Cholkan, Water/Wastewater Planning, Public Works
Faculty, Course & Students: Dr. Zobia Jawed, McMaster University, Master’s Engineering Design Project (2 students)
Challenge Summary: Develop or research and recommend emerging water quality technology to monitor pollutants of concern at pipe outfalls or in-creek, preferably remotely and/or in near real-time.
Goal: To design a framework to monitor and track selected contaminants in Chedoke Creek, improving on existing conditions.
Deliverables:
Report
Analysis to be developed and presented using a triple bottom line approach and infographics where sensible
Includes actionable recommendations for City
Presentation
Visually-based pitch to the City summarizing methodology and actionable recommendations
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
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:
How has usage of parkland and open space changed before, during and after the COVID-19 emergency? How have perceptions changed?
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?
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
