Just a walk in the park to shape the future

Dandenong residents could shape parks for the future and pick up $25 along the way.
ProjectPARK is looking for people aged eight to 18 years and 65-plus years to visit Hemmings Park or Greaves Reserve.
Researchers from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University will chat to them for 15 minutes about what they like about the spaces and what they’d like to change.
Lead researcher Dr Jenny Veitch said this was the first phase of a three-year study involving nine parks across Melbourne. The aim is to influence park design across Australia.
She said park use was particularly low among adolescents and older adults.
“We want to hear from a real cross-section of people,” she said.
“People don’t have to be regular visitors to parks.
“We want to know what’s stopping them from using them.”
Dr Veitch said parks provided opportunities for children to play freely and for people of all ages to be physically active and connect socially.
“It is predicted that more people will be living and working in higher density neighbourhoods in the very near future, meaning that more people will need parks to have access to open spaces,” she said.
“This will create additional demand on our existing parks, so it is essential that we understand how to design and create parks that meet the needs of our growing population.”
ProjectPARK interviews will take place at a time convenient to the participant between now and mid-December.
Each person interviewed will also receive a $25 gift card. Register at projectpark@deakin.edu.au or call 9244 6031.