Canadian City Parks Report 2022

Trends, Challenges & Covid-19 Impacts

In looking at top trends this year, we’re noticing a continued interest in park features that support daily life, including dog walking; growing, cooking or eating food; and getting some exercise on a multi-use trail. In addition, there is increasing attention on the need for parks to support inclusion, through elements like universally accessible design and Indigenous programming.

We’re also seeing a renewed interest in digital infrastructure, like free wi-fi in parks or park-based apps, which seemed to have waned during the pandemic. In 2020, 44% of cities mentioned that interest in digital infrastructure was increasing. This fell to just 26% in 2021, but has jumped back up to 48% this year.

We asked cities whether interest in the following park elements has increased, stayed about the same, or decreased over the past year.

Increased

93

%

off-leash dog areas

86

%

food growing, cooking & selling opportunities (e.g., community gardens, edible orchards, farmers markets, bake ovens)

86

%

multi-use trails (e.g., walking, cycling)

83

%

Indigenous engagement/programming

79

%

universally accessible designs

71

%

naturalized areas in parks

59

%

alcohol and substance use in parks

59

%

adventure play (e.g., nature playgrounds, loose parts play)

55

%

green infrastructure developments in parks (e.g., rain gardens and bioswales)

52

%

unstructured spaces to just hang out (i.e., rather than participate in organized activities)

48

%

volunteer-based natural stewardship and education opportunities (i.e., tree planting, invasive pulling, etc.)

45% said not changed, 
7% said decreased

48

%

outdoor fitness equipment

45% said not changed, 
7% said decreased

Stayed about the same

79

%

privately-owned public space development (i.e., publicly accessible spaces secured by the municipality on privately owned land)

77

%

non-profit partnerships to co-manage park operations, programming, or engagement

75

%

private investments in parks (e.g., philanthropy, corporate sponsorships/donations)

69

%

park friends groups (i.e., friends of X park)

52

%

outdoor spaces for organized sports

52

%

digital infrastructure (e.g., wi-fi, park-based apps)

This year, many cities are experiencing challenges around maintaining parks to a high standard, with concerns around aging infrastructure and revitalizing parks to meet changing needs at the forefront. Cities are struggling to protect and enhance biodiversity and naturalized areas in parks, while those spaces are being threatened by climate change and extreme weather events.

While acquiring and expanding parkland to meet growth needs is an increasing challenge for cities (58% in 2021, 69% in 2022), this challenge isn’t experienced evenly across the country. This year, 62% of cities indicated that this was a major challenge, 7% said it was a minor challenge, and 28% said it was not a significant challenge. In general, more urban and densely populated cities are seriously grappling with providing more green space to a growing population, while smaller cities in suburban or rural areas either still have room to grow or are already meeting their residents’ green space needs.

97

%

aging infrastructure and asset management

93

%

revitalizing/redesigning parks to meet changing needs

93

%

addressing impacts from climate change and extreme weather damage (e.g., flooding, fires and droughts)

90

%

houselessness in parks

90

%

protecting/enhancing biodiversity and natural environments

86

%

insufficient operating budget

79

%

engaging hard to reach groups

76

%

collecting data on park use

69

%

acquiring/expanding parkland to meet growth needs

55

%

addressing systemic inequities and discrimination in parks

As municipalities move into pandemic recovery, Covid-19’s impacts on park planning, amenities, programs, operations and budgets remain at the fore. However, we’re seeing cities shift focus from meeting immediate public safety needs, toward longer term planning based on new trends and demands emerging from the pandemic. This includes expanding park maintenance, making pilot programs spurred during the pandemic permanent, and addressing the overuse of trails and natural areas through education and signage.

Park Budgets and Planning

93

%

said Covid negatively impacted park capital budgets and planning.

73

%

said Covid negatively impacted park operating budgets.

Engagement and Programming

92

%

said that new park programs or pilots sparked by Covid have been extended or made permanent.

92

%

said Covid changed the way the municipality engaged with communities about park projects.

e.g. more intentional outreach to equity-seeking groups, more online methods

76

%

said that park use increased in 2021, compared to 2020.

48

%

said the municipality offered social services in parks during the pandemic, either provided directly by the municipality or through a non-profit partner.

e.g. pop-up food banks/distribution or vaccination clinics

31

%

said the municipality increased the presence of by-law officers in parks in 2021 to enforce physical distancing.

Nature Impacts

72

%

said the municipality had to address overuse of natural areas and/or trails during the pandemic due to increased visitors and use.

e.g. through educational campaigns, signage, etc.

59

%

said the municipality expanded nature stewardship program offerings or is considering new/expanded natural stewardship program offerings due to increased interest since the pandemic.

e.g. tree planting, invasive pulling, guided walks