Green Infrastructure Solutions

The Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP) engages private and public landowners to co-design and implement green infrastructure projects that build neighbourhood resiliency.

urban agriculture at San Romanoway Towers in the Black Creek SNAP neighbourhood

Green infrastructure is considered at every stage of SNAP planning and implementation:

  • Municipal scale screening and neighbourhood selection ensure that SNAP projects take place in areas having green infrastructure and climate action priorities, such as heat stress, stormwater management and vulnerable populations.
  • SNAP action plans identify green infrastructure systems and solutions at the neighbourhood scale, connecting them with broader regional systems.
  • Climate vulnerability assessments, adaptation plans and resiliency strategies incorporate green infrastructure solutions to address multiple objectives.
  • Green infrastructure implementation projects are intentionally designed to deliver co-benefits, including health and well-being and opportunities for local green job skills development.

SNAP Green Infrastructure Projects: Examples

Generating Measurable Socio-economic Outcomes

The San Romanoway tower revival project (Black Creek SNAP, Toronto) demonstrates how green revitalization at aging apartment towers effectively delivers on pressing housing issues and strengthens community resilience on a host of socio-economic objectives.

The Black Creek SNAP San Romanoway tower revival project demonstrates how green revitalization at aging apartment towers effectively delivers on pressing housing issues and strengthens community resilience on a host of socio-economic objectives

The impacts of the San Romanoway project include:

  • Every one hour of SNAP programming generated 19 hours of community volunteerism
  • 70% of residents reported feeling safer
  • More than 85% reported a positive impact on their mood
  • 61% confirmed they have been inspired to start a small business due to the project
  • 69% reported the project inspired them to fundraise for a community cause, as a result of SNAP actions.

Partnering with NGOs to Achieve Impact

TRCA’s SNAP program builds on the capacity of experienced non-profit partners for mutual program benefits, with the ultimate goal of getting more green in the ground!

SNAP neighbourhood residents take part in community planting event

Examples include:

  • TreeMobile – Delivered backyard tree plantings for Black Creek SNAP’s Harvest the Rain home retrofit program in Toronto
  • Ecosource – Working together to deliver urban agriculture projects and hands-on training as well as collaborations on depave projects at multiple sites in Peel Region SNAPs
  • ACER – Collaborated on community tree planting events as part of Project Crossroads, following strict COVID safety precautions in Bramalea SNAP, Brampton
  • FoodShare – Provided training in vegetable gardening and capacity building in community garden management in Black Creek SNAP, Toronto
  • And many more!

Achieving Municipal Urban Forest Targets

Each SNAP action planning process downscales regional urban forest targets and groundtruths local implementation opportunities to confirm neighbourhood targets.

map of urban forest canopy cover in Bramalea SNAP neighbourhood

For example, the Bramalea SNAP Action Plan aims to increase the urban forest canopy from 17% (39.7 ha) to 27% (60.8 ha) by 2040.

The neighbourhood urban forest canopy can be increased 10% by planting an estimated 2,897 trees on public and private properties. This target can be achieved by planting, for example:

  • 564 trees in residential yards
  • 262 along local streets
  • 876 at multi-unit residential buildings
  • 7 in parking lots
  • 871 on institutional properties
  • 317 in parks outside the large Eco Spaces

Conceptualizing the Possibilities as Inspiration for Action

Artistic renderings of potential transformations often form a key part of SNAP action plans, because they help partners imagine what could be possible.

A rendering from the County Court SNAP Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan
A rendering from the County Court SNAP Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan

Increasing Access to Local Food and Nature in Vulnerable Communities

SNAP helps to identify under-utilized spaces, such as paved areas or lawns, that can be revitalized into more productive components of the neighbourhood.

De-pave projects (like the example pictured below), community gardens, planted seating areas, and tree planting are just a few of the ways that SNAP programs incorporate green infrastructure into living spaces.

de-pave project in the Burnhamthorpe SNAP neighbourhood

Delivering Programs that Promote and Install Green Infrastructure on Private Land

SNAP works to install green infrastructure at homes through locally targeted home retrofit programs, at schools, places of worship and other institutions, and at commercial properties.

bioswale and rain garden in Lake Wilcox SNAP neighbourhood

We welcome new partners to help advance this critical
component of every SNAP!

CONTACT US TODAY