A tree-lined street in East Vancouver. Photo: Ted McGrath

This article is the third in a five-part series exploring the connections between placemaking and community wellbeing, written by Canada’s Placemaking Community and Happy Cities. Building on the Power of Placemaking project and our Community Conversations, this article shares learnings about how placemaking initiatives can foster climate resilience at a community level.

This is what we heard through conversations with practitioners shaping spaces across Canada.

Placemaking for our Planet: How Community Projects Fight Climate Change

By: Eva Morrison

Have weather events—like flooding, fires, and droughts—impacted your community lately? You’re not alone. 94% of cities surveyed in the 2023 Park People Report said that addressing impacts from climate change and extreme weather damage has been a challenge in the last year. 

As climate change impacts Canadians in new ways, communities are adapting shared spaces to meet changing needs. Placemaking can directly address community challenges, including climate change, while bringing people together and creating places people love. 

To discover how placemaking efforts can tackle climate change, Canada’s Placemaking Community hosted group conversations with practitioners from across the country. Participants involved in garden initiatives, food co-ops, climate action groups, bike initiatives, conservation organizations, and more tuned in to share their insights from the ground.

We heard inspirational stories about how placemakers are fighting climate challenges in five ways: green spaces and gardens, car-free streets, sustainable food practices, eco-stewardship, and community resilience. From grassroots organizations to municipalities, local communities are taking the lead in crafting healthier and greener public spaces.

Trees being planted in a public space. Photo: Alex Indigo

1. Urban greening

Often, one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of climate resilience is planting trees. And it works: Trees are essential for reducing heat stress in urban areas through evapotranspiration and shade. Green Infrastructure Ontario found that a marginal 10% increase in canopy cover could decrease heat-related ambulance calls in Toronto by up to 80%. Recognizing the many benefits of urban trees, the City of Montreal has committed to planting 500, 000 trees on its territory as part of its 2030 Climate Plan.

Reep Green Solutions in Kitchener-Waterloo is expanding the tree canopy by planting more trees in neighbourhoods that don’t have them. The nonprofit also hosts a community walk to educate residents on the importance of tree canopy and the benefits of trees in the community.

Another placemaking activity that re-greens urban areas is community gardens, where everyone has a hand in the growth. We heard about “fedges” (a cross between a hedge and a fence that is constructed out of greenery), group gardening clubs, pollinator patches, and seed libraries to encourage community members to take an active part in growing greenery. 

The Town of Goderich used HCI funding to brighten a municipal park with a community garden project. The project aimed to bring the community access to fresh produce during the harvest season, increase physical activity, and lower stress. The Goderich Community Garden is still going strong, with community members taking responsibility for plots that they harvest throughout the summer. Produce is shared among those who tend the garden, food banks, and individuals in need.

Beets harvested at a community garden. Credit: Goderich Community Garden Facebook Page

2. Sustainable food practices

Sustainable food practices are at the core of many community-led placemaking projects. Initiatives like shared gardens and fresh markets promote local food production, reduce food miles, and encourage organic farming methods. These projects create vibrant public spaces that bring people together and meet community needs. 

HCI funding recipient, A Rocha, runs a “Farm to Families” program in Surrey, B.C. to share fresh food within their community. The organization provides educational opportunities, bringing local residents to their farm to enjoy meals together, learn how to cook in season, and take home vegetables. The initiative works to minimize waste and increase community connection.

Another farming initiative, Community Farm at Beetbox Co-Op Nepean, Ontario, grows food collaboratively with participants who do farm shifts each week. Now in its fifth year, 80 people are sharing the labour and produce through the harvest period while  learning to grow their own vegetables. Beetbox Farm also offers a vegetable subscription program, a farm store that’s open to the public, as well as events and concerts on site. Leftover vegetables are donated to the local food cupboard. 

“For me, Community Farm  was an incredible opportunity to meet different people,” said Kiana Simmons, a member of the farm. “And involving members in the labour tends to foster social inclusion and builds up the community.”

HCI funding recipient, the North York Harvest Food Bank, has a similar mandate. The organization is a network of food banks with four community food spaces in the Greater Toronto Area. Pamela Phan, Communications and Advocacy Coordinator, joined our discussion to share more about the Lawrence Heights Community Food Space. Going beyond food assistance, the space provides an on-site community food bank, community garden, as well as information and referral services to a wide range of community resources and supports.

“It’s not just about providing people food,” said Phan. “It’s about building that community connection.”

Participants with vegetables harvested at the Community Farm at Beetbox Co-Op. Photo courtesy of Kiana Simmons

3. Eco stewardship

When people are directly involved in building community places, like a shared garden, it helps create a sense of ownership and pride for that space. This role of caring for and protecting ecosystems is called environmental stewardship. Placemaking with an eco-stewardship lens takes direct action to preserve natural resources. Across the country, community groups are leading the way in activities like river clean-ups, reforestation projects, and conservation efforts. 

In our community conversation, placemakers talked about the importance of giving neighbours the tools to take care of their own communities. One participant shared that they were working on collaborative “How-to Guides” to prepare their community for climate emergencies. Another community group hosted re-use workshops to teach sustainability hacks. A number of organizations offered tours and volunteer opportunities to youth so they could learn how the eco-initiatives worked. Through hands-on involvement and education, these initiatives empower individuals to become caretakers of their environment.

A community clean-up event in Woburn Park, Scarborough, Ontario. Credit: Woburn Local Residents Table

One HCI funding recipient, the Woburn Local Residents Table, used funding to host community sustainability pop-up events. These included seven community clean-ups and 16 play equipment sharing library pop up days at the local park with 300 participants. 

“We created a huge network of residents and resource libraries,” shared Nita Goswami, a member of the resident-led grassroots group. ”We still do different initiatives and stay connected using the basic structure created during the HCI project. People helping people and leaders advocating for new leaders is the kind of capacity-building work [still] happening constantly.”

Leah Yuyitung of the Woburn Local residents Table shares how the initiative was able to engage residents in Scarborough to use the local park collectively.

4. Open Streets

Pedestrianized streets and bicycle programs are other popular eco-friendly initiatives. When Park People asked Canadians if they would like to see more streets pedestrianized or turned into parks, 77% said yes. By prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport, communities are reclaiming their streets, reducing traffic congestion, and cutting down on pollution. In Seoul, Korea, an urban renewal project replaced an overpass with the Cheonggyecheon River Park to provide protection against extreme flooding. After this permanent street closure, air pollution was cut by 35%. These car-free initiatives also promote social interaction, making neighbourhoods safer and more enjoyable.

The Region of Peel Community Cycling Program is another successful example. The program launched a network of community bike hubs where people could borrow bikes, learn how to repair bicycles with support, participate in group rides, and benefit from mentorship and training. Since 2019, over 2,400 bikes have been repaired or tuned up, with 6,119 residents participating. 

“There’s also a lot of community events providing bike repair services to folks who have bikes that might otherwise go to landfill.” shared one participant, “So we’re thinking about the circular economy…we’re thinking about parents and kids passing on cycling as a viable mode and not a costly burden.”

5. Community Resilience

Community members build connections at a pop-up event. Credit: Woburn Local Residents Table

Many of the placemaking projects we learned about in our conversations emphasized the importance of social connections for community resilience. People came week after week to check on their gardens, commenting on the growth and working together to keep the plants thriving. Learning how to bike around the neighbourhood helped newcomers connect with their community. At farmer’s markets, local sellers create a network with each other and strengthen their local economy.

Participants shared that they are facing new challenges all the time—from extreme heat to flooding. One thing many of the placemaking projects tackling these issues had in common was  an emphasis on the importance of community members building strong social ties. 

For example, the Woburn Local Resident Table found that people were forming connections, with neighbours greeting each other by name. All these connections with neighbours and local businesses are crucial when disaster strikes. They foster a social network of neighbours who check in on each other and share resources. Building community resilience is about preparing for and adapting to the challenges.

These efforts are creating stronger, more connected communities that are better equipped to face climate crisis and extreme weather. By bringing people together and encouraging sustainable practices, community placemaking projects are a valuable tool for climate resilience.

More resources about placemaking and climate change:

• The Power of Placemaking
• Surfacing Solutions, The Canadian City Parks Report
• Communicating the Benefits of the Urban Forest Toolkit

Learn more about the wellbeing benefits of community-led placemaking initiatives in the Power of Placemaking research report, developed in partnership with Happy Cities. Find and download resources from the report to help you make the case for placemaking in your community!