Temecula Duck Pond - POE - Redesign

This Post Occupancy Evaluation was a student project to determine if the site (30 years after its implementation) was meeting the needs of its users today. Behavioral Tracking, Dot Mapping, Activity Trace Mapping, Interviews, and data aggregation were used to create enough information to analyze and determine a course of action if one was necessary.

The park was determined to be insufficient in a few different ways. First, the pathways were inadequately thin, never allowing more than 2 visitors to pass on one another at a time. Visitors frequently traveled in groups of two or more. Second, there was a lack of gathering spaces where visitors did not interfere with natural spaces or spaces that ducks preferred to occupy. Seating was inadequate as well. According to interviews, the most egregious offense was the lack of tranquility and connection to nature, which was betrayed by the views and artificial nature of the pond and park.

The best course of action was determined to redesign the pathways around a new system of berms and native wetland habitats that allowed more people to remain on the pathways and gather in spaces dedicated to people. This also provided opportunities to create more intimate and tranquil spaces and remove some unwanted views and sounds while pursuing a deeper connection to nature.