Re-Imagining the Public Common

Instructor: Jean Trottier

EVLU 4014
Year 4 Environmental Design
Landscape and Urbanism Design Studio

In March 2021 the Treaty One Development Corporation (T1DC) and the Canada Lands Company released the Naawi-Oodena Master Plan for Winnipeg’s former Kapyong military base. The plan calls for a mixed-use community, with commercial, residential, and institutional components. The streets, parks, green infrastructure, and other public open spaces – hereafter called the “public common” — are expected to bring these various components into a cohesive whole.

The Master Plan has seven overarching goals:

  1. generating prosperity and cultivating partnerships;
  2. building a welcoming and inclusive community;
  3. celebrating First Nations identity and culture;
  4. promoting sustainable urban development;
  5. advancing new expressions in Indigenous design;
  6. sharing knowledge and cultural teachings; and,
  7. showcasing innovation in design and urban development¹

Within this context, the present design studio will explore how Naawi-Oodena’s public common can help advance these goals.

¹ Former Kapyong Barracks Master Plan (Draft), March 2021. Treaty One Development Corporation and Canada Lands Company.

Brenna Waylett

Brenna Waylett

Naawi-Oodema

I am a 4th-year Environmental Design student in the Landscape + Urbanism stream. I aspire to bring the beauty of the outdoors into urbanized areas, designing for humans and non-humans. I am particularly interested in naturalistic, regenerative landscapes that bring the beauty of native ecosystems into everyday spaces.

The Naawi-Oodema park site location is situated in the middle of block D connecting residential to commercial and mix-use spaces. This park becomes an opportunity to join these dynamic spaces creating a strong community of interaction, culture, and beauty. The design features a series of retention ponds to create a river-like experience. To create this river topographic experience, the ponds move from high to low as you travel through the park. The park features different spaces allowing activities for all with surrounding indigenous plantings throughout. Overall, the park design’s goal is to connect the varied surrounding areas by creating an inclusive space for everyone to relax, play, gather and learn about indigenous culture through the beauty of the outdoors.