Incorporating Wifi into Watkins Regional Park

Final project for LARC471: Capstone Studio: Community Design (Spring 2022). University of Maryland, College Park.The need for new approaches to ensure internet access that would bridge society's "digital divide" became evident when instruction shifted online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Project BRIDGE, a UMD project funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to bring free Wi-Fi to public parks while creating technology that could bridge the digital divide and provide internet access to individuals and communities who now struggle to get online. In this studio, students explored community needs by conducting a community engagement session in Watkins Regional Park and then proposing design solutions to accommodate Wi-Fi use in various areas of the park.Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreatio