Item - 2017.EX29.3

The Executive Committee:

1.  Directed the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and the Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back on the Final Parkland Strategy in the second quarter of 2018.

The Deputy City Manager, Cluster B and the Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning gave a presentation on Update on Rail Deck Park, Parkland Strategy and Section 42 Review.

The Executive Committee considered items EX29.2, EX29.3 and EX29.4 together.

The Parks Plan (2012-2017) was approved by City Council at its meeting in May 2013 and among other recommendations, directed an update to the strategy for the acquisition of parkland to continue to prioritize underserved areas and address City priorities.

This report provides an overview of the Parkland Strategy (Strategy) focusing on the preliminary analysis undertaken to improve the assessment and decision-making on the allocation of parkland across the City. The report also outlines the alignment of this Strategy with key City Planning initiatives including the Rail Deck Park Implementation Plan and the Review of the City's Alternative Parkland Dedication under Section 42 of the Planning Act.  Included in this report is a Parkland Strategy Preliminary Report Primer (Attachment 1), providing a high level summary of a Phase 1 Report prepared by O2 Planning & Design Inc.

The Parkland Strategy is a 20-year plan for the enhancement of Toronto's park system through the creation of new parks and the expansion and improved access to existing parks.  The Parkland Strategy will build on current practice providing new approaches and tools to support decision making on the acquisition and reinvestment in our City's park system. 

This report proposes an updated methodology to measure and assess parkland provision, using the baseline of residential population against the hectares of parkland available across the City. Included in this analysis is Toronto's ravine system and large parks such as the Rouge. 

The methodology has determined that the City-wide parkland provision average is 28 m2 per person, including 36 m2 per person in Etobicoke York; 29 m2 per person in North York; 45 m2 per person in Scarborough; and 21 m2 per person in Toronto and East York (see Table 2). Comparison of city-wide parkland provision (see Table 3) with that of six other large North American cities shows that Toronto is comparable to Vancouver, is higher than San Francisco and lower than Los Angeles.  Comparison of parkland provision in each city's densest core shows Toronto is lower than New York, Chicago and Houston (all cities that have protected/invested in large parks in their downtown areas).  The updated methodology has also assessed how future growth and employment population further decreases parkland provision city-wide.

This preliminary analysis of city-wide parkland supply and distribution will be used to build an understanding of the scope, scale and location of parkland need across Toronto.  The next phase of work of the Parkland Strategy will consider acquisition, reinvestment and functionality of the parks system. It will also assess the options for potential updates to the Alternative Parkland Dedication Rate. This will be integrated into an implementation, policy and investment framework to be presented in the Parkland Strategy Final Report, due back in second quarter 2018.

The Parkland Strategy is necessary and foundational work that will support concurrent City initiatives and guide long-term planning for new parks, expansions and improved access to existing parks throughout the City.  It will provide a comprehensive analysis of the availability and function of parkland and provide new approaches and tools to support decision-making and the prioritization of parkland investment across Toronto for the next 20 years.  Finally, it will act as Toronto's parks plan, satisfying the new requirement in the Planning Act that municipal organizations study the need for parkland through preparation of a parks plan prior to adopting any changes to the Alternative Parkland Dedication Rate.