The Park People Conference Program
Check out three days of dynamic sessions highlighting the city park people and projects supporting community belonging and resilience, nourishing relationships between people and the rest of nature and embracing city parks as essential infrastructure for cities.
June 21, 2023
Arrivals and Registration at the Bentway Studios
Registration for the conference starts at 12:30 pm EST. Attendees can arrive 30 minutes before the start of their afternoon tour.
Reconnecting and Reimagining a River - Naturalizing the Don River Mouth and Building Riverfront Parks
Tour The Portlands, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in North America that is revitalizing a major waterfront community and restoring a kilometre-long river valley. Explore the unique challenges of re-naturalizing a vast stretch of the downtown waterfront and learn how Waterfront Toronto is supporting the City in envisioning a collaborative governance model for the site.
Toronto Island: Building Deep Community Connection into the Planning Process
Explore Toronto Island with Indigenous elders, residents, artists and city staff contributing to a Toronto Island Masterplan that features Indigenous placemaking, climate adaption, LGBTQ2+ and creative co-management structures.
Innovation in Green Spaces in Toronto’s Tower Communities
Visit Flemingdon Community Farm and Thorncliffe Park and explore how community-led innovation and creative partnerships resulted in high-impact, vital projects in these tower communities in Toronto’s inner suburbs serving newcomers and racialized communities.
Waterfront Park Tour: Toronto Blue and Green Waterfront Parks
Tight on time? Join us to explore 3 of Toronto’s Waterfront’s most unique parks! Come learn from experts about the story of how Canoe Landing Park got its name. Witness the original, fully restored and operational 120 ft locomotive turntable and full-sized railway equipment at the Roundhouse Park. Be one of the first to visit the newly constructed Love Park where park users will have the opportunity to rekindle their relationship with stillness and the beauty of nature.
Parks are Where We Rebuild Democracy
Dave Meslin and Zahra Ebrahim explore the opportunities for public spaces to be sites of equitable community building and community organizing. The two will discuss what parks have to do with democracy and the multiple benefits of parks shaped by their communities.
Food and refreshments will be provided during the reception at Toronto Island Beer and BBQ Co.
