Keywords
nature heritage
green areas
tactile gardens
optimization
How to Cite
Abstract
This project focuses on adapting Ukraine’s nature reserve areas to meet modern societal challenges, ensuring barrier-free access to natural assets for visitors of all abilities. The creation of a multifunctional sensory location using native plant species in the Park “Feofaniya” (Kyiv, Ukraine), as in this project, is a practical implementation of the National Strategy for the Formation of a Barrier-Free Space. A prospective plant fund (up to 40 plant names, including native and introduced species) has been established to stimulate different sensitive organs of humans and enhance the therapeutic function of the sensory area. The multilevel design, based on the concept of mixborders, serves both decorative and functional purposes. The multisensory zone enhances existing park elements, helping to maintain a cognitive connection to nature for all categories of visitors. The proposed landscape design also includes improvements to existing park features, ensuring wheelchair users and individuals with other physical limitations have unrestricted access to safe and tactile plant compositions. To promote informational accessibility, key elements of the sensory mixborders are complemented by informational plaques and audio materials about individual types of plants used. This initiative aims to create an environment that fosters physical, emotional, and social well-being, enhances quality of life, and raises awareness about plants, providing diverse sensory experiences for people with reduced mobility. An innovative form of urban green zone for a wide range of users is being created by leveraging the existing potential of the Park “Feofaniya” and publicly available technologies. By implementing this project, the recreational zones of nature conservation areas in Ukraine will be better equipped to address contemporary societal challenges and contribute to recovery efforts in the post-war period.
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