The Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP) is with Council getting feedback and having the production finalised. The community launch of the document is being organised for Spring and the local working groups have been developing their projects.
Below is the next instalment of The Toronto Area SNAP, the guiding document for the group which outlines the projects as well as the community vision and values as formulated at local workshops.
Toronto Area Community Vision
- To be proud of our neighbourhood
- To maintain and improve access to natural beauty and cultural heritage.
- To promote sustainable growth and tourism and
- To foster a community of environmentally aware and active residents
Community engagement has included a Community Attitudes Survey (March 2011), two workshops, meetings and youth activities. Improvement of walking and cycling path infrastructure is seen as the single biggest environmental and social issue for Toronto Area residents.
Local sustainability issues of most concern to residents as highlighted in the survey were:
- Protecting and improving the natural environment
- Having access to parks, lake foreshore, bushland and other natural areas
- Improving streetscape and stormwater systems through environmental design
- Reducing waste and energy consumption
- Responses from the community workshops focussed around six key areas of action:
- Engaging in sustainable living activities such as community/backyard vegetable and native gardens, cycling and walking
- Protecting and enhancing natural environments including bushland, wildlife and the lake foreshore through initiatives such as Landcare and responsible pet ownership
- Fostering a safe neighbourhood
- Creating more opportunities for community interaction
- Reducing traffic noise, pollution and congestion and increasing sustainable transport accessibility such as public transport and electric vehicles
- Improving community facilities such as footpaths, cycleways, kerb and guttering, bushland tracks and access to public land.
The residents of the Toronto Area value our:
- Peaceful village atmosphere
- Lake-side culture and healthy outdoor lifestyle
- Magnificent natural environment and rich cultural heritage
- Convenient and diverse range of local services
- Enterprising community people
- Community’s potential to keep the Toronto Area a special place
- Ability to make local decisions so that we can provide support for each other
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