Description
SPARKS: Social parks. Urban greeenspace as a focus for connecting communities and research.An AHRC Arts Humanities Research Council Connected Communities grant exploring the links between green space, identity, and community.
The SPARKS project aimed to integrate physical, social science and design through research on parks and other urban 'social' green spaces - Social Parks. The project brought together researchers who are collectively interested in these social spaces, thereby stimulating cross-disciplinary interaction and analysis. A full appreciation or 'valuation' of the role of these urban spaces in contributing to a 'big society' requires cross-disciplinary input, engagement with, and for, communities, and analysis at differing spatial and temporal scales.
The project aimed to connect communities and research, and enhance community involvement. Users will be encouraged to reflect on how their behaviour and attitudes have changed when places/sites are re-designated, for example, from waste land to 'urban park' or city park to community park. The project aims to explore not just how urban green spaces might frame behaviour but how they may change behaviours.
Some questions have been identified to help frame this enquiry. What do we know about these spaces: what is the 'value' of green space over other land use types and the added value of water (or other significant features) within parks; how might local parks affect health and well-being and how might communities explore new uses for parks that celebrate identity and belonging? How are they changing: what is the adaptive capacity of communities in the face of climate change? What does the future hold for urban parks and green-space and what new roles should/can parks and urban green-space play in generating greater community cohesion in the 'Big Society'?
Exploitation RouteOutputs include a designed event based on the individual efforts from existing projects and the collective efforts from this project. A non-academic summary report has also been prepared - which can potentially inform Local Government, other government departments, 'third sector' organisations and community groups who are increasingly engaged in park-related issues. This report identifies 'case studies' of good practice and outlines a future direction for delivery of a cross-disciplinary evidence base relating to urban green spaces and their role in connecting communities. In addition, the main findings have been circulated by project partners to local authorities /city councils.
SectorsEducation,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism
Outputs include a designed event based on the individual efforts from existing projects and the collective efforts from this project. A non-academic summary report has also been prepared - which can potentially inform Local Government, other government departments, 'third sector' organisations and community groups who are increasingly engaged in park-related issues. This report identifies 'case studies' of good practice and outlines a future direction for delivery of a cross-disciplinary evidence base relating to urban green spaces and their role in connecting communities. In addition, the main findings have been circulated by project partners to local authorities /city councils -ref https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/education/research/groups/csnl/sparks
Abstract
SPARKS is an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-Funded ‘Connected Communities’ Project. The SPARKS project (2011 -2012) has integrated physical and social sciences, art and design through research on parks and other urban ‘social’ green-spaces.
The project team have developed an agenda for research that integrates findings and methodologies from their current and previous UK Research Council funded initiatives.
The outputs are from the SPARKS COMMUNITY EVENT:
FILM: Some of our findings have been displayed as an’ exhibition in the park’ in Rosehill Victoria park in Rotherham. The exhibition consisted of film projections on a house in Rosehill Victoria Park in Rotherham on March 15th 2012, and represented the culmination of the SPARKS project. Two films, commissioned for SPARKS were shown. One was 'A day in the life of Rosehill Park' showing the park from Dawn to Dusk with interviews of all ages of park users including the youth group and youth workers based there. The other film was based on the researchers and the work they do on parks all over the UK.
QR TAGS: In addition to the film projections a series of QR tags (square bar codes) were produced and posted all over the park. These can be accessed with QR-reader applications on ‘smart phones’ and enable people to get access to video and interviews taken around the park as part of the project.
Event
SPARKS Community Event : Exhibition consisted of film projections on a house in Rosehill Victoria Park in Rotherham on March 15th 2012 - Rotherham, Sheffield, UK
Duration: 15 Mar 2012 → 15 Mar 2012
https://applications.abertay.ac.uk/external/socialparks/
| Period | Dec 2011 → Mar 2012 |
|---|---|
| Held at | Arts & Humanities Research Council, United Kingdom |
| Degree of Recognition | National |
Keywords
- interiors
- parks
- community
