Apply Now to Ontario Community Changemakers 

HURRY! There are only a few more weeks left to apply to Ontario Community Changemakers. Twenty winners will receive $5000 as well as leadership development and training to implement their idea.  

The program is open to Ontario residents aged 19-35 with innovative ideas to activate public space, enhance civic engagement, and/or foster social inclusion in their communities. We are seeking applications from residents of 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 funding from the Balsam Foundation.

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

What We Are Reading

Reimagining Public Space Governance and Programming in Commercial Districts

Over the past few years, New York City’s public spaces have taken on new meaning, becoming lifelines for businesses and necessary escapes for neighbours. Design Trust for Public Space partnered with the New York City Department of Small Business Services on Neighbourhoods Commons: Plazas, Sidewalks & Beyond to investigate how public spaces in commercial corridors are managed and programmed to support this multitude of uses.  Read this excellent report and find about 20 recommendations on how to manage our public realm and how to activate it specifically along commercial corridors through increased funding, providing technical assistance or changing processes. 

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Vancouver Appoints Official To Manage Homelessness In City Parks

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has appointed Betty Lepps as Director of Urban Relationships, the first position of its kind for the City. 

The position was created responding to the needs of people experiencing homelessness, helping to fulfill the City’s humanitarian responsibilities as tent encampments on public land continue to pose a major challenge in Vancouver.  
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Three Ways Public Libraries Support Socially Connected Communities 

How many times have you enjoyed the benefits of your neighbourhood library? What role do these community hubs play in helping us connect? Noah Lestra gives us answers to these questions and furthermore, explains the three ways public libraries support socially connected communities. 

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Urban Villages For People With Disabilities

Compact, multimodal urban villages can provide independent mobility for people with disabilities, ensuring that everybody can enjoy freedom, opportunity, and romance, discusses Todd Litman in this excellent article about the urgency for cities to be planned according to their population needs, including those of people with disabilities. 

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What We Are Watching

Tools & Resources

Two New School Streets Reports

Check out the reports ‘School Streets to shape child-friendly cities’ and ‘School Streets: putting children and the planet first’. We are proud and excited that our first School Street pop-up implemented in Toronto in 2019 was featured alongside other School Streets around the world. 8 80 Cities is currently supporting Mississauga, Markham and Hamilton piloting their School Streets this year. 

City Parks Infographics

From City Parks Alliance, a new report on the vital importance of parks featuring all the relevant information in great and useful infographics. Download it here. 

Events & Announcements

A Walk in the Park with Gil

Tomorrow!👇

Upcoming Sessions
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. 
June 28th – Brent Toderian. Density vs Nature in Cities? No More False Choices. 
July 12th - Rouge Park, Canada Parks' first urban park. It’s 23 times the area of NYC’s Central Park, in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area. Presents: Omar McDadi, Parks Canada. 
July 26th – Walkable, Green Streets: Advancing Health, Wellness & Economic Vitality. Presents: Dan Burden. 

Mobilize Virtual (ITDP) 

America Walks Webinar

From Plans to Equitable Change: Community Partnerships to Encourage Walkability. How to get your concerns to intersect with city plans. RSVP here. 

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

In Toronto this summer? The Bentway invites you to see the STREET anew. Check out the activities and installations here. 

Bike Month (May 30 to June 30) is here! If you live in Toronto, we encourage you to join the free guided group ride on May 30th from one of four official starting points or plan your own route to Nathan Phillips Square for a post-ride celebration featuring free coffee & snacks, some pop-ups from bike-friendly partners, and the proclamation of Bike Month by the City of Toronto. See here for full details about the group ride, and be sure to tell your friends, family, neighbours, and co-workers. Other opportunities to engage:

1. Visit BikeMonth.ca to learn more about this GTHA-wide campaign to get people riding bikes!
2. Join or post your own community bike event on the Bike Month Events Calendar.
3. Take the Bike Month Pledge; log your rides, and if you're in Toronto, enter the Bike Month Contest - all launching on May 30 at BikeMonth.ca!