From Roadblocks to Retreats : Reimagining Mini-Parks as Senior-Friendly Therapeutic Communities

Urban loneliness among seniors remains an overlooked mental health issue in post-pandemic Canada. According to the Canadian City Parks Report 2024, only one-fourth of Canadian cities are well equipped with outdoor park programs to support seniors’ mental well-being. This project proposes a senior-friendly design toolkit to transform 9 underused mini-parks—originally built as traffic barriers in the 1980s—into therapeutic spaces. These redesigned parks will offer nearby, calming environments that foster social connection and nature engagement for low-income, mobility-limited elderly individuals in adjacent high-rises. Jervis St Park is selected as an example to illustrate the application of the toolkit.