8 80 Cities Announces Year 2 of Ontario Community Changemakers 

We are thrilled to announce the launch of applications for Year 2 of our Ontario Community Changemakers to support Ontario residents aged 19-35 with innovative ideas to activate public space, enhance civic engagement, and/or foster social inclusion. This program is unique in that it offers both leadership development and training and a $5,000 microgrant to implement their idea.  

The program is accepting applications from residents from communities of all sizes including rural communities, small towns, cities, and First Nations territories within Ontario. The program is powered by 8 80 Cities with support from Balsam Foundation.   

To apply to the Ontario Community Changemakers program, applicants must submit their applications by June 19th, 2022, 11:59 pm EDT (10:59 CDT). Apply here. 

What We Are Reading

Can Walking Together Heal a Neighborhood? 

By Kelli McIntyre and Nicole Seahorn Hameen 

Learn about a wonderfully simple and effective program called We Walk PHL. The program is a partnership between the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and the Fairmont Park Conservancy.  It aims to help people experience the health and social benefits of walking, specifically targeting communities with generational and ongoing racially-rooted, place-based trauma, economic violence, intentional disinvestment and environmental racism. Authors Kelli McIntyre and Nicole Seahorn Hameen share stories of healing, joy, and connection in public space.  

Read full article here.  

How Can We Improve Children’s Experience of the Built Environment?  

By Cities4Children  

The Cities4Children Conversation Series summarises some of the key points and ideas made at public events such as webinars and conferences. We’re excited that they have profiled one of our Walk in The Park with Gil webinars on Children and Parks, Nature and Cities featuring speakers Tim Gill, author of Urban Playground, Sarah Milligan Toffler, Executive Director of the Children and Nature Network, and Cecilia Vaca Jones , Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation. Read the keen insights from this esteemed group here. 

The Health Benefits of Parks and Their Economic Impacts: A Review of the Literature 

By Mychal Cohen, Kimberly Burrowes, and Peace Guam of The Urban Institute 

This research report provides a comprehensive summary of the research on the health equity benefits of parks. Four dimensions of health are discussed—physical, mental, social, and environmental—to demonstrate the range of health benefits from parks and green space, and where possible, the economic impacts of these contributions. This report presents the evidence described in recent, relevant literature to support local leaders, park professionals, advocates, and others to advance the field of park and green space health equity with more strategic investments. Read the full report here.

Car Culture is a Huge Impediment to Climate Action  

By Sean Youra 

A detailed piece on how car culture became so embedded in planning practice and a strong research and evidence based approach highlighting the importance of reclaiming streets for people. Great videos, explainers, videos and data highlighted throughout the article. Read the full article here.  

Silver Hues: Building Age Ready Cities    

By World Bank Group 

This report helps articulate the idea of age-readiness while building on the idea of age-friendliness. It is intended for cities and towns as they prepare for an older urban age, offering examples and options to help younger cities visualize age-readiness while focusing primarily on the built urban environment. The authors suggest 6 key areas for cities and towns to make progress toward age-readiness: universal design, housing solutions, multigenerational spaces, physical mobility, accessible technology, and efficient spatial forms. Read the full report here.    

What We Are Watching

Recommended Reading and Resources

Dream Play Build: Hands on Community Engagement For Enduring Spaces and Places

By James Rojas and John Kamp
We love this incredible book and resource that shares fun and playful ideas for community engagement. The authors highlight the importance of community participation that connects to people’s feelings and emotions and engages their senses. They provide useful approaches for expanding engagement and opening new pathways for participation that go beyond surveys, workshops, and activities that rely so heavily on language and often create visible and invisible barriers. 

Levelling the Playfield Field

The Montréal Urban Ecology Centre, in partnership with the Centre de recherche en santé publique and Université de Montréal’s School of Public Health, is taking advantage of the first days of Spring to challenge elected officials, public decision-makers and citizens to experiment School Streets and Play Streets! 

To support municipalities in improving the safety and well-being of children, the new website levellingtheplayingfields.ca brings together a variety of resources, including practical guides to take action, inspiring case studies, academic studies and detailed evaluations of pilot projects conducted around the world. 

These two street-based interventions provide benefits such as reducing traffic, improving safety, promoting an active, healthy lifestyle and creating social spaces for youth and the community.  

Events and Announcements

A Walk in the Park with Gil 

May 3^rd - The Impact of Central Park and the Conservancy. Betsy Smith, President and CEO of the conservancy.
 
May 17th – Parks, Nature, Cities. Connecting to Health and Wellbeing. Dr. Melissa Lem, MD, CCFP, FCFP. Family doctor, Pres-Elect CAPE_ACME, PaRx Founder. Jenny Roe, PhD. Co-author new book: Restorative Cities. Director, Center for Design & Health, University of Virginia, USA.  
 
May 31st –  Fred Kent. Placemaking – You need to turn everything upside down, to get from inadequate to extraordinary. 
 
June 14th – Greening Schoolyards. ‘The low hanging fruit’. Danielle Denk RA ASLA. Director Community Schoolyards Initiative.  Mary Alice Lee. Director, NYC Playgrounds Program. Sadiya Muqueeth, DrPH, MPH. Director of Community Health. All work with Trust for Public Land, and have done hundreds of transformations.

World Urban Parks Congress, Monterrey November 14 - 18, 2022 - Submit your abstracts and posters now!

Cultural Districts & Intergenerational Placemaking Panel facilitated by Jay Pitter - Sign up today!

Volunteers needed for School Streets Mississauga!

The City of Mississauga is looking for volunteers for their School Streets Pilot Project from May 9 – June 3, 2022. Be part of one of Mississauga’s first-ever School Streets and contribute to the growth of active school travel in Mississauga. For more information, visit the project website at https://mississauga.ca/schoolstreets or email laura.zeglen@mississauga.ca