Taiwan's First Terrace Ecology Park - Dayou Terrace Ecological Park
Making Parks More than Parks
Diverse and Friendly Design of Inclusiveness
Allowing citizens of Taoyuan to amuse themselves in Utopia Taoyuan at premises featuring diverse park designs and constructions of friendly spaces.
A large circular footbridge built with Béton brut design of simplicity connects the green fields on both sides of the road in a fashion-forward manner. In the middle of the circle lies a semi-circular reflecting pool unrippled reflecting the azure sky, under which are the brand-new parking lot and historical exhibition hall.
This is the "1895 Yiwei Taiwan Protection Peace Memorial Park" in Pingzhen District, which used to be a large and disorderly cemetery. In November 2021, it was transformed into an inclusive park with both historical significance and fun for adults and children. Every holiday, this park is filled with vigor as the visiting children emit laughter of joy here.
Dedicated in Building an Inclusive Playground to Truly Allow Happiness to be Shared with Every Single Person
"A good park really solves the headache for mothers-letting children wandering around. I think Taoyuan is great. There are various types of parks with all demographics taken into account." The couple Lin Xin-Yi and Chen Bin-Sheng residing in Yangmei District has a pair of children, among which the daughter suffers from a rare disease and depends on mobilized wheelchair to move around; nevertheless, they still like to visit various places with their children.
"My daughter likes to contact people, and we always takes her out. She visited parks big or small in Taoyuan when she was little, and when she got older, she would go to visit attractions like forest recreation areas, etc., where she could interact with fellow patients. One at her age would require company, and we can visit some relatively open place accessible by motorized wheelchairs for picnic so that she can spend time together with fellow patients."
Fenghe Park in Taoyuan District has a "sand table" with a height of about 70 cm that allows ones in wheelchairs or those who cannot enter the sand pit to play together.
This kind of park design is not a special case. Taoyuan promotes the "Inclusive Playground Project"-the first "city-wide" planning in the country focusing on "playgrounds". In addition to experts engagement for opinions, resident workshops with citizen groups as invitees are promoted in the creation of inclusive playground. Currently, 63 characteristic parks have been planned in complete in Taoyuan.
In the planning process, children's right to express their opinions is implemented through the participatory workshop, so that children's opinions may be valued. The competent planning and design unit intends to gradually allow children of all ages and different groups (including individuals of different disabilities) to participate in the workshop, and, convert and organize the re-interpreted children play behavior and needs following observation, listening, and reflection into needs for playgrounds and basis of park designs.
Public Spaces with Enriched Friendliness and Respects for All Ages
Taoyuan's hiking trails also has been incorporated with the design concept of "for all ages". For example, in the Hutoushan Designated Scenic Area spanning across Taoyuan and Guishan Districts, three hiking "systems" are constructed according to different trail types and slopes, with a total of six trails built. The inside of the park contains stepless design, and the slope plank trail with great width and gentle slope allows easy access via wheelchairs and strollers. In addition, the elevated wooden plank trails built out of elevation method is adopted to protect the natural habitat of animals and plants from being damaged. The trails built under circular and gap concepts connect the surrounding recreational nodes, making it the best attraction for family hiking, absorption of phytoncide in the woods, and training of physical strengths.
Regarding the public space where the City Government implements "universal design", the Lin-Chen couple said that "citizen awareness of accessibility will rise if the City Government takes the lead. For example, when we take our daughter to the elevator, others will spontaneously hand us the priority to the elevator. I can feel that prevalence and culture of accessibility is slowly enhancing. People will feel it gradually if the Government pays its effort."
Through parks and trails designs, Taoyuan is committed to creating a diverse, friendly and respectful public space that allows people of all ages, genders and with or without disability to find their happy place.