TeachingCity Oshawa creates new interactive experience at waterfront park

A new interactive map developed through a TeachingCity Oshawa collaboration with Durham College is bringing the beautiful Ed Broadbent Waterfront Park to life through a unique wayfinding experience.

The mobile-friendly map invites Oshawa residents and visitors to interact with various features of the park, while exploring space and place through educational components.

Features and points of interest include:

• General park information
• Interesting facts about the building and ecology of the park
• The legacy of Ed Broadbent as a public figure in Oshawa
• The significance of the Garden of Human Rights and the Orange Garden
• Information about the Stage and Amphitheatre

Accessed through scanning QR codes placed on signage throughout the park, the app integrates wayfinding technology with a 360-degree perspective experience, allowing users to view the space from every angle while navigating the park. The app also includes an auditory guide for accessibility as well as links to the City’s website to learn more about events in the park and booking information.

This interactive collaborative project was developed by a multidisciplinary team of students from Durham College’s Media, Art and Design program during the winter 2025 semester. Over the summer, a graduate from the program and project lead, finalized and tested the app in preparation for public use.

We welcome the community to venture out to Oshawa’s lakefront this fall and explore this new interactive tool at Ed Broadbent Waterfront Park.

The City of Oshawa extends its gratitude to Central Counties Tourism who contributed financial support for signage to execute this project through the CCT Partnership Funding Program and to the Durham College students and faculty who contributed to building this asset for the Oshawa community. Check out Central Counties Tourism - York Durham Headwaters Road Trip Planning Tool and follow @VisitYDH.

About TeachingCity

TeachingCity brings together the City of Oshawa and its education and research partners – Durham College, Ontario Tech University, Trent University Durham GTA and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. The partners address Oshawa’s urban issues through innovation, collaboration, applied research and shared experiential learning opportunities with the aim to position Oshawa as a local, national and global community of urban research and learning. Learn more at teachingcityoshawa.ca.