Description of Organization
WSP is a multidisciplinary professional services firm that supports public realm, accessibility, transportation, wayfinding, inclusive design, research, and innovation work. For this project, WSP would draw on internal expertise in public realm planning, accessibility, pedestrian comfort, environmental measurement, inclusive design, climate resilience, and applied research to support development and testing of an outdoor sensory comfort assessment approach.
Problem area
Outdoor public spaces are typically assessed through physical accessibility, circulation, and design performance lenses, but these approaches do not fully capture how spaces feel for people who experience sensory sensitivity, cognitive overload, anxiety, disorientation, or difficulty regulating in busy and unpredictable environments. Existing sensory comfort approaches have been developed and tested primarily in indoor settings, while their application to parks and public spaces remains an emerging area of practice.
Developed in collaboration with Lacey Artemis, this project will explore how cities can better understand and design outdoor spaces that are comfortable, welcoming, and navigable, especially for neurodivergent individuals and others who experience sensory challenges. Using High Park in Toronto as a pilot site, students will help adapt and test an outdoor sensory comfort assessment approach while contributing to the development of a structured methodology for evaluating public spaces. The project combines applied research with hands-on field investigations and is intentionally interdisciplinary, bringing together perspectives from planning, landscape architecture, engineering, environmental studies, health, accessibility, and inclusive design.
The pilot study is intended to inform a broader multi-year initiative. Findings may support future testing following planned public realm improvements and contribute to a methodology that can be applied to parks and public spaces in other municipalities.
Main objectives
The project will help develop and test a practical methodology for assessing sensory comfort in outdoor public spaces. Students will identify measurable indicators of sensory comfort, pilot and evaluate the assessment approach within High Park, and explore how sensory conditions vary across different park environments. The project will assess the effectiveness and practicality of the methodology, establish a baseline sensory comfort profile, and provide recommendations for future implementation, refinement, and post-construction comparison following planned public realm improvements. As an emerging area of practice, the project provides students with an opportunity to contribute to research that could influence future approaches to accessibility, inclusive design, public realm planning, and the design of parks and outdoor public spaces.
Scope of work
Students will contribute to the development, testing, and refinement of an outdoor sensory comfort assessment approach through four key project phases.
Phase 1: Research and Framework Development
Students will review relevant literature, background materials, and existing approaches to sensory comfort, accessibility, and inclusive public space design, while helping refine the assessment framework and field tools for the pilot.
Phase 2: Field Data Collection and Testing
Students will participate in field observations and data collection within High Park, helping test the assessment approach across a range of real-world park environments and conditions.
Phase 3: Analysis and Refinement
Students will organize and analyze findings, explore patterns across assessment locations, and evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of the approach.
Phase 4: Recommendations for Future Applications
Students will prepare a final report and presentation summarizing key findings, lessons learned, opportunities for refinement, and recommendations for future implementation and post-construction comparison.
Deliverables
- Report
- Presentation
- Resources
- Survey Tools
- New protocols/processes
Frequency
- Bi-weekly
Skills and training required
Required Skills
- Research and analytical skills
- Literature review and environmental scan experience
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Field observation and data collection experience or interest
- Basic data organization and analysis skills
- Ability to work collaboratively and contribute to reports and presentations
Assets (Nice to Have)
- Knowledge of public realm planning, urban planning, accessibility, inclusive design, environmental design, health, sustainability, or human-centred design
- GIS, mapping, or spatial analysis skills
- Experience with environmental measurement tools or field investigations
- Familiarity with sensory design, neurodiversity, parks, wayfinding, pedestrian comfort, microclimate, lighting, sound, or air quality
Resources required
WSP will provide access to project materials, field tools, relevant datasets, and mentorship from specialists across multiple disciplines. Students will gain hands-on experience in applied research, field investigations, environmental data collection, mapping and visualization, interdisciplinary collaboration, and technical reporting.
NDA or a commercialization agreement for this project?
Yes