The Green Weekend

Our team is passionate about giving back to the community in a way that benefits them without harmful consequences. We have a common vision to make green spaces and conservation areas more accessible for students within McMaster University.

As a team we have come up with a solution to the obstacle of international students being less able to navigate around Hamilton as compared to their peers. We have taken into account the language barriers that may exist, and the preferences individuals may have in terms of accessibility.

Explain your primary research here!

1. Provide local (Hamilton) greenspace information to users (international students).​
2. Support various languages. ​
3. Present travelling suggestions to users. ​
4. Easy to access, environmental-friendly, and user-friendly.  

1. Collecting the download number from phone App platform (IOS App store and Google Play store)
2. Collecting the feedback the platform collected from the users
3. Cooperate with International Student Success Center at McMaster University to send out survey for feedback

Potential Solutions #1

Develop a Mobile App: One potential solution could be to develop a mobile app that provides detailed information on the location, amenities, and accessibility of nearby green spaces and conservation areas, making it easier for students to plan their visits. It could also include features like recommending a green space based on the user input such as activities and type of the place (like forest or lake), transportation method and how to go to the place. The app could be designed with a McMaster University vibe, incorporating the university's colours and logo, to make it more appealing to students. Additionally, since most of the students in the university are international students, we can also make the app multilanguage to allow international students who are non-native English speakers to access the information in their preferred language.

Potential Solutions #2

Develop an Online Platform: We can also develop an online platform that provides information about green spaces and conservation areas in Hamilton. The platform could include detailed descriptions of each location, including amenities, accessibility, and directions, making it easier for international students to navigate and choose a suitable location based on their preferences. The platform could also provide multilingual support, allowing international students who are non-native English speakers to access the information in their preferred language.

Potential Solutions #3

Engage in Outreach Efforts: Another potential solution could be to engage in outreach efforts aimed at increasing awareness of green spaces and conservation areas among international students. This could include organizing informational sessions and tours of local green spaces, partnering with student organizations to promote outdoor activities, and using social media to share information about upcoming events and activities. These outreach efforts could help increase accessibility to green spaces and conservation areas for international students.

 Potential Solution #4

Collaborate with local organizations and community groups:  We can organize regular transportation services to and from green spaces and conservation areas. This could involve partnering with student organizations, such as the International Student Services (ISS) or the McMaster Outdoors Club, to provide safe and affordable transportation options for international students who may not have access to a car or may be unfamiliar with the area. The transportation services could also include information sessions and guided tours to help students better understand the natural and cultural significance of green spaces.

We propose a phone APP solution based on the existing resources. The App can provide detailed information about the place, such as the available infrastructure, road map and safety instructions. The App can recommend a green space based on the user input such as activities and type of the place (like forest or lake), transportation method and how to go to the place. The App will also support multiple languages.​

This screenshot depicts greenspaces near the user based on distance and score. The user can choose their greenspace of preference (forest, lake, trail, waterfall) to get that category of recommendations.

Clicking the picture will lead the user to plan the trip or pressing on to the picture will lead the user to the information page.

The distance is from the GPS directly and rating stars are from Google.

This function is designed for people who are not familiar with the greenspaces near them. The picture sets and the rating can provide the user with an initial impression for the place and help them to choose a destination for the weekend. Going to the greenspaces nearby is what is most likely for new students or someone who recently moved to a new place in Hamilton.  The distance between the user and the place can also help the user in their choice.

This screenshot shows the same information as the first screenshot does. The only difference is the language is becoming Chinese (simplified).

The App will support multi-languages that make users could choose their preferred language.

The App also supports multi-language by simply clicking the translate button in the top right corner. This can help international students whose first language is not English and help them explore with confidence.

Furthermore, to accomadate the new commer to the Canada outside the University, the multi-language support can help them better to fit in the local community.

This screenshot shows the page ‘ Surprise Me’. Clicking the surprise me button will generate a random green space location. Users can choose themes (forest, lake, trail, waterfall) to get more specific random green space locations to be generated.

This function could help people who have difficulty making decisions. Some people do not care about the green place to go but care about whom to go with. This function can reduce the disagreement between people, and let random to choose their destination.

Surprise Me function can also help with students who are not familiar with the place and introduce them with a random place to start with.

This screenshot shows after clicking ‘ Surprise Me’, this info page has a picture to give the user a brief idea of what the green space looks like and some information about the activities that can be done there.

'More info' will lead the user to a more information page. If the user does not like the generated location, they can click  ‘ Surprise Me again’

If the user wants to go to other pages, they can click the space outside of the information page.

The information is deeply connected to the McMaster official greenspace website.  The information has official endorsement from McMaster University. This will make sure students’ safety and rights are prioritized and validated. Because of official endorsement from McMaster University, international students will have less fear of the unknown, which will give them the confidence to explore more green space.

This App is available on both iOS and Android platforms for user to access with reasonable app size (30M) and no permission or personal information required to use the functions of the App. User can allow App to access the user current location to give better recommendations for the green place.

Additionally, the app can be accessed under the no-wifi conditions with the only exception being connecting to the McMaster Natural Resources web page, allowing users to access the app in almost all place to find a park or conservative area.

The app is fully digitized platform avoiding any paper usage, which means the solution will be more environmentally-friendly compared to the park/conservative brochure. Furthermore, the App can work with the RBG to use QR code to replace the brochure for the park to help the visitor access the information more easily. Finally, it is possible to use App to replace the parking charge system to make the parking more convenient.

As a group of engineering students, we have developed strong problem-solving skills and MacChangers has provided us with an opportunity to connect with clients and solve a real-life problem using the skills we have developed during our academic career. By making research and talking to community members we have developed a more profound understanding of the problem and with assistance from MacChangers staff, we can develop the prototype and get more feedback to improve the solution. Hence, we are really grateful to the MacChangers team as well as the community member: Wayne and Mark for this wonderful experience.