On Sep
tember 22nd, Toronto’s Board of Health approved a report by the city’s Medical Officer of Health calling for an increase in urban green space to support the physical and mental wellbeing of local residents. The report prioritized green space investment in disadvantaged and historically under-serviced neighbourhoods in the city.
Our work on: The Impact of Green Space on Heat and Air Pollution in Urban Communities: A meta-narrative systematic review , with the David Suzuki Foundation and Green City: Why Nature Matters to Health – An Evidence Review , with Toronto Public Health, documented the benefits of urban green space to the health and wellbeing of city residents. Together the two reports provided the scientific evidence to support the Medical Officer of Health’s policy recommendations that were tabled with the Board of Health and approved this September. Toronto City Council has committed to support, and provide the necessary resources to carry out, the recommendations including increasing tree canopy cover in Toronto to 40 percent and prioritizing green space in underserved neighbourhoods. Congratulations goes out to the committed team of people who worked very hard on both reports. Read Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David McKeown’s report.