Svetly Park as a supportive space for open communication between every social category of residents

BASIC CITY DATA

· Population size: 1197659

· Population Growth Rate(%): 0.30

· Surface Area(sq.km): 379500

· Population Density (people/sq.km): 2765

· GDP Per Capita (U.S.$):

· GINI Index:

· URL/Webpage of your local government and your initiative:

 http://www.admkrsk.ru/sites/eng/Pages/default.aspx

· Main Source of Prosperity (e.g. industry, trade, tourism, creative industry, etc.): Metallurgy, Power engineering, Mechanical engineering

ABSTRACT

Svetly Park is a one-of-a-kind fully inclusive public space (0,9 hectares), created in Krasnoyarsk in 2022 next to the Regional Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired. In addition to the artificial navigation for the visually impaired, the Park offers "green" landmarks (trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants) with relevant tactile, noise, and aromatic properties that can be easily picked up by the blind, whose sensory systems are much more effective in the absence of one of the receptors.

The project prioritizes inclusive socio-cultural programs:

-maximum use of the developing object-spatial environment;

-specialized educational projects: walking with a cane, moving with a guide dog, etc.;

-visually impaired persons own initiatives (including research and educational projects);

-working with "troubled" teenagers from the local community (caring for other people becomes a personal development tool);

-open events demonstrating various ways how the new space can benefit both the blind and the sighted citizens of Krasnoyarsk.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

In 2012, the Russian Federation ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, thus entering into a legal commitment to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. Respective legal acts ensuring urban infrastructure facilities accessibility were passed across the country at the municipal and regional levels.

ORIGINS

The municipal level goal is the development of a "practical socialization" program aimed at the visually impaired, based on universally accessible areas such as Svetly Park (2022-2023). 

The subgoals of the initiative include:

- introducing into Krasnoyarsk City Administration common practice participatory urban infrastructure design and development approach (within 3 years);

- changing the attitude towards people with special needs through involvement in joint activities (may take several years).

The main innovation was the targeted use of urban public space (park) for the education and socialization of the visually impaired while engaging residents, especially children from disadvantaged families, in the events program aimed at personal development through helping one another.

Another innovative component was the use of trees and plants as tactile and olfactory navigation landmarks providing a positive emotional and psychological background for all project participants and park visitors.

Design and development:

-Krasnoyarsk City Administration (design and construction coordination);

-Krasnoyarsk Regional Organization of the All-Russian Association of the Blind, Krasnoyarsk   Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired (identifying primary needs of the visually impaired);

-local community, Special Library staff, blind people (participatory design approach).

Sociocultural program design and implementation:

-experts (psychologists, gardeners, etc.);

-local business (charity - purchasing plants, walking canes, etc.);

-specialists of the library (teaching volunteers and the project team to work with the visually impaired).

Territory improvement: federal budget - 55000000 rubles, city budget – 15000000 rubles.

Sociocultural program:

2022

private donations - 50,000 rubles, a municipal grant for social projects – 1000000 rubles (500000 co-financed by local businesses)

2023

private donations of -100000 rubles; a regional grant ("Partnership" program)-1100000 rubles (550000- co-financed by local business).

Other sources:

-project team's resources; local business (site improvement equipment, free of charge); free professional assistance (Krasnoyarsk universities teachers and students); influential persons' support (Krasnoyarsk City Council deputies); volunteers.

INNOVATIVE ASPECTS

Svetly Park is revolutionary - both a training ground and a socialization space to acquire the skills of independent movement (using the walking cane, tactile landmarks, etc.) and communication (through versatile activities together with non-blind people). It also affects the non-blind people's lives - the project teams, all project volunteers, local community. While learning to understand the needs, taking care of, and communicating with the people whose life is harder than yours, you are developing, and becoming a better person. The team sees that in the positive changes in the local community kids from disadvantaged families, as they are taking part in various project activities.

DESIRED CHANGE OR OUTCOME

There's a noticeable increase in the activity and quality of life of the visually impaired. A series of projects have been initiated and implemented such as teaching the blind to use a walking cane (20 people); and the Eyes Rest Quest, encouraging people to experience our world the way the blind people do (over 80 people).

The project team uses various indicators including number of events per week, number of the event's participants, number of organizations supporting the project, money accumulated for the project (beyond budgetary funding), number of subscribers in the project's social network groups, and number of volunteers. The data are mainly disaggregated into ordinary people and people with disabilities parameters and is also used for planning future activities and finding better ways for the project's development.

The project mainly targets the visually impaired Krasnoyarsk residents. It also encompasses the residents living adjacent to the park. Several factors have influenced the choice of the project site: proximity to the special library for the blind and to the neighborhood of the visually impaired (due to the nearby factories, where the visually impaired have traditionally been employed), and the removal of wooden barracks in 2015-2016 which makes space for the future park.

In 2022, Svetly Park hosted 56 events (745 participants, sighted/visually impaired: 151/109 adults, 314/171 children; among sighted - 5 adults and 3 children wheelchair users, one autistic child). The team expects that number to grow as the information about the project is spread by its organizers, participants, and mass media.

RELEVANCE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote life-long learning opportunities for al

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable