Community Climate Action Hubs

Twenty-five neighbour champions have undertaken community-focused climate action initiatives across Toronto through TransformTO's Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions Program. In 2021 The Toronto Metropolitan University School of Urban and Regional Planning partnered with the UofT Centre for Landscape Research, five Champions, and the City of Toronto Environment & Energy Division, to design and create five Community Climate Action Hub Installations in equity-deserving parks in Toronto. These installations aim to 1) reinvent outdoor spaces by introducing green infrastructure, 2) provide environmental education, 3) increase accessibility, and 4) offer artistic spaces for neighbours to rest and socialize.

The Community Climate Action Hubs are spaces designed and built as a collaborative experiment between neighbours, academics, city officials, and local partners. As such, the grassroots system strategy was to lead public community design workshops in public parks located in some of theCity's Neighbourhood Improvement Areas. These interactive sessions facilitated an exchange of ideas, enabling participants to comprehend local challenges, identify opportunities and needs, and share innovative approaches to climate action.

The valuable input from these engagements informed the development of five distinct ClimateAction Hubs that explore innovative design strategies, including adaptable furniture, multigenerational placemaking, playful recreational spaces, and the integration of green infrastructure and growing food security.

Don Mills: Community Garden Gazebos

Woburn Park: Bike Station

Regent Park: Plaza Installation

Bathurst Finch: Placemaking Interventions

Winchester Field: Green Cubes

Don Mills: Pollinator Planting

McCowan Park: Bike Station

Woburn Park: Playground Interventions

Mirvish Parkette: Pollinator Gardens

Community Engagement: Climate Action Hubs