Building environmental awareness through participatory design

A two-year collaboration between a medical institution and a public elementary school to design an Urban Wildlife Preserve (UWP) is the focus of this case study. The case study offers an innovative approach for development of public open space and a methodology for involving users in the design and long term. stewardship of a project. The presentation describes the first year's project methodology that integrated the various users' and site program requirements into a physical design reflective of human and wildlife needs in the preserve. The second year's participatory and educational strategies to introduce the UWP to new students while maintaining involvement among the students and teachers from the previous year-are also addressed. As people become more aware of their role in the earth's ecosystem, efforts are being made to sustain ecological systems and to develop environments that create opportunities for habitat and ecological systems renewal. However, in the thrust to advance environmental conscientiousness and to involve citizens in responsible behavior, children and their potential role as participants in the environmental movement are often overlooked. Our paper documents a two year collaboration between a medical institution and a public elementary school to design an urban wildlife preserve. We detail the first year's methodology that integrated users' and site program requirements into a site design and the second year's strategies to build environmental awareness at the school prior to construction of the wildlife preserve. Our intention is to add to the forum on development of public space and to initiate discussion on methodologies for involving children in the design and long term stewardship of environmental projects.