Learning environments, learning practices and the process of parks project design within Metro Vancouver

This project examines the learning environments and learning practices within the parks planning departments of Metro Vancouver’s municipalities. It begins with a review of the literature on policy learning, organizational learning, networks and best practices. The findings of the project are based on statistics, surveys, website information and qualitative interviews with parks planners. The project includes a case study of a parks design plan for each of the municipalities. The analysis explores the relationships between learning environments and learning practices and includes the identification of a dominant learning model currently used within most of Metro Vancouver’s municipal parks planning departments. The implications for the design of parks and the field of urban studies are discussed in the conclusion.