The Park People Conference Program

Across Canada, communities have visualized, mobilized and led the transformation of underused spaces that were once overlooked, vacant or abandoned. Learn from three inspiring groups that successfully led campaigns that tap into community assets and knowledge and transformed their urban landscapes.

Join Akiima Price for a hands-on workshop to dig into the tools she uses to surface community-led solutions that help build meaningful connections between economically stressed communities and local parks.

An incredible amount of knowledge resides in the people and communities who engage with parks. How can we ensure that their knowledge, experiences and insights are integrated into collecting information that shapes our parks? Join experts, to address the challenges and successes in impact measurement, and discuss equitable futures for park systems.

Join Philip Cote as he guides us through Tkaronto's rich indigenous history covering the last 13,500 years. Explore Indigenous relationships to the land, ravines, waterways and greenspaces and how Indigenous histories are reshaping parks.

Explore what community leadership looks like on the ground. This collaborative workshop, hosted by community and municipal leaders from across Canada, will define what effective models for community park leadership can look like to ensure urban parks serve the needs of local communities.

Located in downtown Toronto's East end, Regent Park is undergoing a massive revitalization that is a model for many around the world. Learn how Canada's first social housing transformation project created unique partnerships and innovative placemaking projects that can serve as an important case study for other communities.

Once a busy commercial harbour dominated by warehouses, factories, and seafaring merchants, Toronto’s waterfront is quickly re-establishing itself as a place for people to live, work, and play. From urban beaches to artist studios, and high-tech offices to whimsical public spaces, our shoreline has been dramatically redefined by new buildings and landscapes that seek to reconnect the city to the lake and redefine our relationship with Lake Ontario. Come join us on a walk along the water’s edge as we explore this exciting revitalization through its architecture and landscapes. Along the way, we’ll explore the challenges, successes, and lessons we’ve learned for the future of waterfront redevelopment and see how traces of our industrial past are finding new uses for art, culture, and leisure. We’ll also discuss some of the exciting projects that will continue to redefine our shoreline for years to come by peeking into the future of our city through some of the proposals taking shape along our route.

Join us for a tour of the transformational parks reshaping downtown Toronto. In this session, you will experience the parks alongside the inspirational leaders who helped shape them. Learn about the political, technical, project management, and funding challenges they overcame to bring their projects from concept to reality and learn about how the spaces were designed and are used today.

Contribute to High Park’s rich landscape through a hands-on planting session and tours that will unearth how Indigenous worldviews influence stewardship and restoration practices. A social gathering and series of (literal) fireside chats will encourage participants to connect with and learn from other large urban park leaders as they share their unique approaches to common challenges.

Tour Evergreen Brick Works, a green design showcase and public entry point into the Don Valley. Explore the site while learning about Toronto's ambitious and complex Ravine Strategy. Hear about the public engagement efforts and innovative partnerships that make this ambitious placemaking project stand apart.