Victoria_Park_Re port Final.pdf - City of Charlottetown

Final Report • June 2013
VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
Trail Hierarchy
Within the other zones of the park, the establishment of a defined trail hierarchy will
improve access through the park to key destinations, encourage passive recreation, and
minimize impact to sensitive interior forest areas. The present spiderweb of internal
trails should be consolidated to a simple loop design that reflects the early character
of the park. The closure of secondary trails within the ecological zone will concentrate
usage to major routes and will enhance the overall health of the urban forest.
Within the trail hierarchy itself, three major typologies have been created, a major
pedestrian promenade, a primary trail, and a secondary trail.
Pedestrian Promenade (4.0m)
The pedestrian promenade is the primary trail connection that bisects the park and
builds upon the original Park Road. Linking the main park entrance and primary
intensive recreation zone through to the waterfront, the pedestrian promenade is both
a major non-motorized thoroughfare and a key sight line of the park. The promenade
is a hard surface, 4.0m wide multi-use walkway lined with trees, and is one of the
loveliest routes through the park. Along the promenade supporting site furnishings
encourage visitors to linger; benches, trash receptacles and site signage provide
necessary service.
Primary Trail (2.5m)
The primary trails within Victoria Park provide efficient circulation between major activity
zones within the park. Due to the recreational nature of this space, parking has been
minimized, and users are encouraged to walk from the major parking areas. The primary
trail network bridges these connections along key view corridors and major sightlines,
providing park users with a specific type of landscape experience. Primary trails are 2.5
metres wide, to accommodate multi-modal transportation, especially for wheeled users
like strollers and mobility devices. In the long-term, primary paths should be constructed
of a hard surface to facilitate access for the mobility restricted, but in the short-term a
stone dust surface will suffice.
Site furnishings along the primary trails should include drainage structures like culverts
to manage surface runoff and mitigate erosion. Other site furnishings such as benches,
trash receptacles, and trail signage should be provided at key intervals. The City should
explore the feasibility of permeable paving solutions for the future, including a review of
the life cycle analysis of the initial capital costs.
The promenade terminates at a large gathering space, it is here in a new plaza space
that visitors can congregate on Canada Day to take in the fireworks. A tensile structure
frames the view without obstructing it along the promenade, and harkens back to the
original gazebo that used to stand in this vicinity. This plaza space could play host to
smaller events, with the nearby grassy lawns ideal for gathering and casual use.
6.5
Primary Trail Cross Section
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