Things to do on a roof: A participatory brainstorm
Break out the whiteboards, sticky notes and pencils. Earlier last week at 39 Parliament Street, Alex Versluis (VP, Property Management), Anne-Louise Blaikie (General Manager, External Relations) and Sarah Beldick (soon to be General Manager of the Cooper-Koo YMCA), kicked off the first of many community engagement meetings held in order to facilitate the participatory design of the soon to be built Cooper-Koo YMCA green roof. The goal for all of the YMCA’s green roofs is to address the needs of the local community, customizing for each one an oasis in the city. The Y staff were met with a room full of insight from local members of the public, who had ideas concerning topics such as beehives, preferred fauna, proper bench setup, and prevailing wind patterns in that section of the city. Anne-Louise compartmentalized the subjects of insight into five categories: Family & Community, Education, Relaxation, Nature Promotion, and Fitness. In order to inspire our YMCA members to participate in the design processes, the green staff put together a few of their favorite things to do on a roof. So put on your thinking cap, and open yourself up to a world of outdoor possibilities.
Get your cardio on: Treadmill in front of the TV is a thing of the past; running tracks around meadows are in.
Entertain a date: Scientists agree; rooftops provide a better view of the city than the coffee shop window.
Meditate over some yoga: An isolated stretch of space beside some Yarrow and Cornflower is the perfect place to balance your chakra.
Take up bird watching: The Y’s green roofs are designed to encourage local flora and fauna. Information stands on the indigenous species help point out ones you are likely to run into.
Learn something new: Current programs that the YMCA provides on the roof range from yoga, movies under the stars, lectures, a guided workout with a personal trainer to throwing a wheel kick in a taekwondo session.
Volunteer in a garden: Not enough space in the backyard? Maybe you are not quite ready to commit to a veggie garden? A green roof is a great alternative way to earn your green thumb.
Enjoy a homemade lunch: Canadians tend to spend $7 to $13 a day on lunch, but the healthy ones enjoy a comfortable breeze and a picnic.
Read a book: Reading inside is so post-apocalyptic.
What is missing? Is there something you want to do on a roof? Is there something that needs to happen to help make it a reality? Here are three ways you can get involved in the brainstorm process:
- Attend a community engagement meeting. The next meeting will be taking place on Tuesday, February 24th 2015 at the 51st Division, Toronto Police Services (corner of Parliament and Front) from 7pm - 8pm. No signup is required. YMCA staff will also be facilitating discussion in the halls of George Brown College on the 23rd of February throughout the day.
- Fill out the quick and easy online survey. You don’t even need to burn the calories to stand up.
- Vote for the winning design. All the insights gathered above will go into creating three locally inspired prototype designs.
Voting will take place this march, and volunteers are welcome to come participate in the build this April.
Not located near the distillery district of Toronto? Keep your eyes peeled for new green roof projects nearby: almost everything is more fun on a roof. New condos in urban settings are always a ripe opportunity to advocate new green roof projects, or interesting DIY projects for urban dwellers. An environmentally sustainable future is participatory by design.
