Green infrastructure is a key component of effective municipal climate adaptation strategies. Its implementation can lead to improved stormwater management, a reduction in the urban heat island effect and more livable communities.

Despite the many potential benefits, many local governments struggle to plan or implement green infrastructure solutions to service delivery, development and climate change challenges.

In order to help communities develop solutions in their community, the Green Infrastructure Foundation and the Ontario Parks Association, with funding from FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program’s Climate Adaptation Partner Grants initiative, collaborated with six communities to work on the Green Infrastructure for Climate Adaptation project.

Participating municipalities include:

  • Toronto
  • Guelph
  • Waterloo
  • London
  • Barrie
  • Brampton

About the Green Infrastructure for Climate Adaptation project

Participating municipal staff and their partners received in-person training on the benefits and valuation of green infrastructure and applied those skills in design charrettes. Proposed green infrastructure solutions generated through design charrettes underwent an economic analysis and were highlighted in a report showcasing municipal best practices. In addition to the report, Ontario Parks Association and Green Infrastructure Foundation produced two training modules that can be used to inform your community’s approach to municipal planning.

"Being able to provide municipalities with real time training and a comprehensive understanding of the value of green infrastructure has been very rewarding. The enthusiasm and interest in seeing the value of our tools will assist all participants to more accurately evaluate key components of their existing and proposed development projects."
– Paul Ronan, Executive Director, Ontario Parks Association

Make green infrastructure work for your community

Read the Green Infrastructure for Climate Adaptation Report to learn about the context for green infrastructure in Canada, including best practices for its implementation as part of a climate adaptation strategy. Learn about the results of the design charrettes and other municipal engagement processes through visualizations of green infrastructure solutions and economic analyses of these solutions.

Communities interested in learning more about green infrastructure and how it can be used to inform municipal decisions should consult the two training modules:

Who is this report for

This report will be of interest to municipal staff in the following departments:

  • Planning
  • Engineering/Public Works
  • Asset Management
  • Parks/Forestry
  • Sustainability/Climate Change
  • Transportation
  • Energy/Facilities Management

Contact

Rohan Lilauwala
Program Manager, Green Infrastructure Foundation
rlilauwala@greenroofs.org

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This resource was developed by the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (2017-2022). This program was delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada.

For more information on climate action funding, resources and training, please visit FCM’s Green Municipal Fund. For more information on asset management and climate resilience grants, training and resources please visit FCM’s Municipal Asset Management Program.

© 2024 Federation of Canadian Municipalities