Priority to Strengthen Neighbourhoods

Background on this priority

When you ask people what makes Toronto great, it doesn’t take long for them to describe Toronto as a “city of neighbourhoods”. People like to identify themselves as both Torontonians, and residents of their own unique neighbourhood. Our neighbourhoods help foster a sense of community belonging and identity, and provide people with an opportunity to have a say on the issues that affect them.

A city is strong when all neighbourhoods are strong. A city is safe when all neighbourhoods are safe. In Toronto there are clear and obvious inequities across the city – neighbourhoods vulnerable to increased crime, poverty and social inequities. There are neighbourhoods with higher incidents of unemployment, underemployment and shootings which cannot be tolerated and which must be addressed to strengthen our city as a whole.

During the current term of City Council, the City of Toronto has placed increasing emphasis on identifying vulnerable neighbourhoods and targeting resources to improve outcomes for their residents. City programs and partnerships that help make neighbourhoods inclusive, vibrant, cohesive and safe include childcare, social support to newcomers, public health, libraries, housing, employment, economic development, recreation, culture and city planning.

The City is working to find ways to ensure that neighbourhoods are supported within a city-wide social infrastructure. Recent plans for Parks and Recreation, Toronto Public Library, Culture and Economic Development identify at-risk neighbourhoods as priorities. City grants have been particularly responsive to emerging community needs and have been quickly targeted to reduce risks in these communities. City Council has adopted Community Safety Plans for the Malvern, Jane/Finch and Jamestown neighbourhoods.