Reimag
ining Cooksville
Park
“The more educated people are about cultures, the better it is. Eventually, we'll have a society that is way more accepting of other people.”
— Park Resident
Mississauga is in the process of rapid growth and transformation. The Cooksville neighbourhood is a hub for retail, transportation and newcomers to Canada, with more than 100 cultures calling it home. As part of the city’s master plan, Cooksville Park is slated for redevelopment and will nearly double in size. Our challenge was to reimagine an expanded park space that would support the neighbourhood's uniquely diverse community.
Through comprehensive research and public engagement, we surfaced insights about people’s needs, cultures and lived experiences of place. We identified patterns across cultures and these common threads were woven deeply into the park experience from built form and amenities to programs and design style.
Project participants included prominent cultures and equity-deserving groups that represent the Cooksville community. We broadened our perspective through close collaboration with First Nations people, an Indigenous research expert, municipal staff and urban planning peers.
Treating culture as an asset, we co-created unique design directions for a distinctive park that welcomes diverse visitors. Our work was done in partnership with OCAD University International and the results were used to inform curriculum for a series of for-credit workshops with students from around the world.
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In the News
Brookfield Sustainability Institute white paper
