Harvested insights gleaned from The Sustainability Imperative research projects and other CEL course projects with salience for advancing climate action in Toronto.
The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the findings emerging from research projects completed by University of Toronto students in community engaged learning (CEL) classes over the past seven years.
In the workshop, participants selected what they felt was the most promising intervention – social equity focused financial mechanisms for advancing neighbourhood scale climate action that keeps wealth in communities – to further explore by way of a backcasting exercise. The exercise began with “painting a picture of the future” and then an exploration of “how we want to get there.”
UCAP and partners organized three workshops to convene and engage key change-makers in industry, community organizations, and government to surface solutions to the real-world barriers they face in meeting the TransformTO goals in four of the largest emission-producing sectors: buildings (new and existing), transportation, and energy. The workshops generated roles and responsibilities for action, as well as reports to guide the work to be done. A final workshop focusing on waste is in the planning stage, and is scheduled for early 2024.
Multi-unit Residential Building Workshop Report, Spring 2022
Low Carbon Mobility Workshop Report, July 2023
Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Workshop Report, July 2023
Low Carbon Waste Workshop, Planned for early 2024
Future generations of architects, planners, engineers, policy analysts, communications specialists, and more are becoming better versed in sustainability thinking and climate action
These reports were written by groups of students as part of the course GLA 2029 The Sustainability Imperative. The reports address key challenges facing the City of Toronto.
Open the database and search GLA2029 for the complete list of projects or click on the links, below.
Understanding the Social Equity Implications of Decarbonization in Existing Buildings
Neighbourhood & Community-Led Solutions to Building Retrofitting
Innovative Retrofit Programs Jurisdictional Scan
Investigating Incentives and Disincentives in the Transition to Zero Emission Vehicles in Toronto
Scaling and Delivering Climate Solutions
Communicating Transformational Change
Zero Emissions Construction Product and Knowledge Gaps
Integration of Climate in Asset Management Processes
Jurisdictional Scan of Retrofit Initiatives
Indoor Health Co-Benefit of Building Retrofit Projects
The Digital World: Addressing Cybersecurity Gaps in TransformTO
Powering the Way to Sustainability: Inequality in Toronto’s Housing and Energy Initiatives
The Geopolitics of Sustainability: The Rise of City Diplomacy in Combating Climate Change
Toward A Democratic TransformTO
The Social Implications of TransformTO’s 5G Implementation Strategy
A Tale of Two Governments: Comparing green construction policies in Toronto and Ontario
TransformTo’s (TTO) Impact on Mining Communities
Pedaling Ahead: A Plan for a More Bike-Friendly Toronto
Rethinking Urban Mobility: Cities As Important Actors of Innovation
Cycling in Copenhagen and Paris: Lessons Learned for Application in the City of Toronto by Natalie Biringer
Climate Data Practices in Toronto’s Municipal Government by Cassandra Chanen
Net-Zero Microgrid Implementation to Advance Toronto’s TransformTO Energy Goals by Angelica Chow
The Data Practices of Grassroots Climate Justice Groups in Toronto: Exploring Data-Driven Tools for Organizing by Lillian Flawn
A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Household Organic Waste Diversion in Toronto, Canada by Yuxin (Kristen) Ma
Analysing Energy Justice in the Housing Sector within Municipal Climate Action Plans: Learnings for the City of Toronto by Hayley MacDonald
Pedestrian-Oriented Communities: Regenerating critical neighborhoods using GIS, Multi-Objective Optimization design, and simulation tools to increase social and environmental sustainability performance by Marco Antonio Rico Thirion