The City of Toronto has officially released Toronto’s first ever Resilience Strategy to approach building a more resilient city holistically.
In 2016, Toronto joined the global network hosted by 100 Resilient Cities, initiated by The Rockefeller Foundation (100RC), to help the city prepare for catastrophic events and urban stresses. Toronto is the second Canadian city and the 62nd city internationally to release a Resilience Strategy.
“Toronto has been consistently recognized as one of the world’s most livable cities, attracting talent and traditions from across the globe. Climate change, growing inequity, and other pressing issues have nevertheless placed a stress on the urban fabric. This Resilience Strategy demonstrates that by taking thoughtful and bold actions today, Toronto will remain a global leader in city building, and thrive in the face of its resilience challenges,” said Michael Berkowitz, President, 100 Resilient Cities
To develop the Strategy, the City’s Resilience Office involved more than 8,000 Torontonians, 75 partner organizations, and leveraged more than 40 existing City plans and procedures over the past two years.
“The City of Toronto has long been a leader in resilience, from land use planning innovations such as the Toronto Green Standard, to social programs such as Tower and Neighbourhood Revitalization, and leadership in infrastructure development. Resilience is a process: this strategy is the next big step to build on everything we are doing to make Toronto a resilient city,” said Chris Murray, City Manager
The strategy supports the City’s efforts to enhance equity and adapt to climate change while helping Toronto become a more equitable, liveable and resilient city.
The Resilience Strategy prioritizes actions such as retrofitting apartment towers, making investments to combat flooding, and providing support to residents to make their homes and communities more irrepressible.
“Toronto’s weather is getting hotter, wetter and wilder and our climate risks are increasing. We are also growing in inequality, which increases our vulnerability. Our growing risks and vulnerabilities are interconnected, as those who are most vulnerable, in many cases, are also at highest risk. This Resilience Strategy helps us to address these urgent and growing challenges,” said Elliott Cappell, Chief Resilience Officer