Reimagining Strathcona science park

Abstract

This practicum reimagines Strathcona Science Provincial Park in Strathcona County, Alberta. To formulate what a Science Park might look like in the 21st century, I referenced the Province of Alberta’s science strategy Knowledge for a Changing Environment, finalized in March of 2019. The strategy lists five priority areas for scientific understanding and communication in Alberta. Two of them were incorporated into the problem statement for this practicum in order to guide the work. The result of this practicum is a conceptual design of the park as a vehicle for research and understanding in the areas of “environmental responses to natural resource development” and “chemical contaminants and biological stressors in the environment” (Government of Alberta, Ministry of Environment and Parks, 2019). The design proposes a series of interventions forming an interpretive lattice that demystifies processes and contaminations associated with industrial activities on this site. The design aims to retain the site as a robust recreational resource that responds to growing populations in Edmonton and Strathcona County.