Despite recognition as a prosperous city of opportunity that has attracted over two million immigrants, Toronto tops Canada in levels of working poverty, and has seen the greatest increase in income inequality in the country. The city has begun taking substantial steps to increase affordable housing and to address income equality and transit equity. City government predicts that without further action, 60% of Toronto’s neighborhoods will be classified as low- or very low-income by 2025.
Toronto is also vulnerable to a number of climate-related shocks, including rainfall flooding, blizzards, and heatwaves. Severe flooding in 2013 was the costliest natural disaster in the city’s history, with 4,579 homes flooded and 750,000 people losing power. The city is concerned that a stronger storm could lead to power disruptions that would impact the entire city and region, but would disproportionately affect the city’s neediest.
Heat and flooding are disrupting children’s daily lives and pushing cities to find new ways to keep them safe. Rethinking schoolyards could unlock a surprising…
Informal waste workers are often at the frontline of urban waste collection and recycling, yet their work is frequently undervalued and inadequately supported. Operating under…
Across the globe, residents, small businesses and local organizations are finding new ways to tackle extreme heat, flooding and other climate challenges. While each community…
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