Eyes on Crab Park

Tatiana Nozaki

The redesign of Crab Park intends to address the rich social and cultural context present on site. Physically isolated from the city by railway tracks, the park is currently the destination of illicit activities and safety is a common concern.

The overarching concept of the project is guided by Jane Jacobs’ theory of eyes on the street and its relationship to a community’s ability to self-surveil. The exploration of a panopticon is paired with a commitment to cater for the downtown Eastside community, whose grassroots efforts resulted in the original creation of the park. Thus, the rethinking of Crab Park aims to maximize levels of safety while avoiding the overexposure of the site to nearby gentrified communities, which could inevitably lead to the displacement of lower income park users.

In addition, with this demographic in mind, the proposal plans to provide equitable access to nature to those who likely not have the means to travel for leisure.