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Indigenous Storytelling & Ravine Ecology

In this webinar, storyteller Hillary Clermont, historian and artist Philip Cote, and Indigenous grower Isaac Crosby connect Toronto’s Indigenous history to current Indigenous-led ecology work, to help understand how we can deepen our connection to the plants and animals of our land and ravines.

The webinar is held in English; French subtitles are available.

At Park People, we believe parks are vital to the health of Canada’s cities and our environment, and everyone—regardless of their income, identity, ability, or age—deserves equal access to the benefits of public green space.

Yet not everyone experiences parks in the same way. Systemic racism and white supremacy are prevalent and visible in our parks and public spaces where Black, Indigenous and racialized people experience suspicion, surveillance, harassment, and violence.

Our Canadian City Parks Report found Black, Indigenous, and people of colour were far more likely to report that concerns about policing, ticketing, and social judgment prevented them from visiting parks as much as they’d like. 

It’s clear we must do more to address the reality that in their current form, Canada’s parks are not for everyone.  

Park People is actively working with communities across Canada to disrupt and dismantle the implicit and explicit structures of power, privilege, and racism in parks and public spaces. 

Here are some useful reports, articles, toolkits, and webinars that we’re reviewing to better educate ourselves in this work. We hope you’ll join us.

Racism in Canada is Ever-Present, But We Have a Long History of Denial, Maija Kappler, May 2020

  • Kappler confronts what she describes as Canada’s “angel complex” in comparing ourselves more favourably against the anti-Black racism that exists in the United States. She documents the long history of anti-Black racism in Canada and its contemporary expression, and also links it with our prevalent anti-Indigenous racism. 

Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, Robyn Maynard, 2017.

  • Through in-depth research, Maynard traces the roots of present day anti-Black racism, surveillance, and policing to Canada’s 200-year history of slavery. She writes of how “both historically and in the present, policing Blackness occurs alongside and as a part of the policing of Canada’s Indigenous communities,” as a way of upholding “the aims of settler colonialism.”

Subdivided, Ed. Jay Pitter and John Lorinc. 2016.

  • Through essays from a variety of voices, Subdivided challenges us to move beyond mottos like Toronto’s “diversity is our strength” to meaningfully integrate anti-racist and urban justice work into how we build our cities. While the book centres on the Greater Toronto Area, its essays on subjects such as policing, arts, housing, mental health, and public space are relevant across Canada.

Why Race Matters in Planning Public Parks, Brentin Mock, March 2016

  • Mock writes about how the tendency to privilege white voices in public consultation perpetuates inequities in how parks are planned and designed. He shares a study of a Houston parks planning process that specifically engaged Black and Latino communities, and argues that cities “need to be inclusive of voices typically under-represented in planning processes, namely those of racial minorities and low-income populations.”

Public Space, Park Space, and Racialized Space, KangJae Lee, January 2020

  • Lee writes about the social construction of parks as “white spaces.” When public spaces are “conceptualized, built, and managed by upper- and middle-class white males,” he writes, “the presence of people of color can be perceived as out of the ordinary, dangerous, or criminal.” 

Placemaking When Black Lives Matter, Annette Koh, April 2017

  • In calling for a “politics of placemaking”, Koh urges public space professionals to engage deeper with systemic racial and class inequities. Discussing Jane Jacobs’ notion that neighbourhoods need “eyes on the street”, Koh writes, “we should ask ourselves if those eyes are attached to a person socialized to see non-white people as inherently dangerous.” 

Being Black in Public, Jay Pitter, November 2024

  • How can municipalities move from awareness to action? The BEING BLACK IN PUBLIC SURVEY is a bi-national survey—developed by Jay Pitter Placemaking and administered by the Institute for Social Research—which examined the public space policies, design approaches and unspoken social attitudes that both diminish and enhance Black peoples’ experiences when navigating cities. 

Parks Need Leaders of Colour, Park People, July 2021

  • In this story from our Canadian City Parks Report, we share research, quotes, and policy examples of how people working in parks and public space are responding to grassroots racial justice movements that call for the elimination of power imbalances in park design and operations and the right to exist, and thrive, in public space.

Urban Parks and Forests Are Missing in Racialized and Marginalized Neighbourhoods, Nature Canada, March 2022

  • A summary of Nature Canada’s research which suggest we consider three interrelated dimensions of equity for racialized and low-income communities when expanding urban parks and green spaces: the proximity of parks and green spaces, the quality of these spaces, and increasing the voice and power of racialized and marginalized communities in governance and the planning and managing urban parks and forests.

Place Driving Equity, Reimagining the Civic Commons, November 2021

  • An evidence-based action guide on the role of public space for shared prosperity, compiled from the discussions of a multi-city working group of practitioners and thought leaders. It features research, policy recommendations and actions that can advance more equitable communities through investments in public space.

A renewed attention on environmental equity and justice, National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, December 2022.

  • This webinar discusses the development and implementation of HealthyPlan.City, a tool that allows environmental health professionals, policymakers, planners, and advocacy groups alike to explore where environmental inequities are occurring in cities across Canada.

Five Ways Urban Planners Are Addressing a Legacy of Inequity, Jon Gorey, May 2023

  • The urban planning profession has directly contributed to the systemic racism and segregation that plague US cities. In this blog from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Gorey spotlights urban planners who are trying to atone for that legacy through tangible strategies with the goal of creating inclusive, equitable communities.

Race and Nature in the City Engaging Youth of Colour in Nature-Based Activities, Jacqueline L. Scott & Ambika Tenneti, April 2021

  • An in-depth, community-informed needs assessment of youth of colour in the Greater Toronto Area led to these tangible recommendations for meaningfully engaging racialized communities in nature and nature-based programming in urban areas.

7 Questions: Perspectives on the future of parks and public spaces – A webinar series

Explore the relationship between public space, race, and systems of oppression in the public realm.

This webinar was inspired by urbanist and placemaker Jay Pitter.

It is held in English; French subtitles are available.

Panel

Panelist
Guillermo (Gil) Penalosa
He/him Founder and Chair of 880 Cities

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa is passionate about creating cities for all people; vibrant cities and healthy communities for everyone regardless of…

Panéliste
Tamika L. Butler
Founder of Tamika L. Butler Consulting

Tamika L. Butler is a national expert and speaker on issues related to building environment, equity, anti-racism, diversity and inclusion,…

Panelist
Chúk Odenigbo
Founding Director of Ancestral Services, Future Ancestors Services

Proudly Franco-Albertan, Chúk’s passion lies in the interactions between culture, health and the environment. Outside of this work with Future…

Moderator
Zahra Ebrahim
CEO and Founder of Monumental, and Member of Park People’s Board of Directors

Zahra is a public interest designer and strategist focused on shifting power to people who are typically underrepresented in institutions…

A conversation with Jay Pitter about Black people’s experiences in parks and public spaces

This case study is part of the 2024 Canadian City Parks Report, showcasing Inspiring projects, people, and policies from across Canada that offer tangible solutions to the most pressing challenges facing city parks.

Summary

  • Parks and public spaces are sites of systemic racism, leading many racialized individuals to avoid these areas due to fear of discrimination and violence.
  • A significant portion of the public (67%) and cities (66%) recognize the need for parks to address racial justice and equity.
  • Despite growing awareness, only 17% of cities are equipped to address these issues, Jay Pitter’s research offers strategies for enhancing Black cultural identity and inclusion in parks.

Over the past few years, our collective understanding has recognized that systemic racism is prevalent in parks and public spaces. Historically, these areas have been sites where Black, Indigenous, and racialized people face suspicion, surveillance, harassment, violence, and even death.

Year after year, our public survey has shown that about 1 in 10 city residents avoid parks and greenspaces due to fear of discrimination or policing. 

This year, when asked whether city parks should do more to address equity and racial justice, over two-thirds (67%) agreed. Similarly, in 2023, 66% of cities recognized the role of parks in combating racism.

While awareness of these issues is growing, action remains limited. Only 17% of cities feel equipped to address racism, allowing the needs of racialized populations to fall through the cracks.

How can municipalities move from awareness to action? We spoke with Jay Pitter about the BEING BLACK IN PUBLIC SURVEY a bi-national survey, developed by Jay Pitter Placemaking (Lead Investigator: Jay Pitter, Co-Investigator: Professor L. Anders Sandberg) and administered by the Institute for Social Research. Overall, the survey asked “What are the public space policies, design approaches and unspoken social attitudes that both diminish and enhance Black peoples’ experiences when navigating cities?”

This research fills gaps in understanding the Black experience in parks and other public spaces in Canada and the United States. Pitter identified a lack of data, particularly in Canada, on how Black communities perceive and experience these spaces. Many institutions measure narrowly defined ideas of inclusion by tracking safety or the absence of anti-Black violence, but Pitter argues that this is insufficient – mitigating violence should be the bare minimum.

Her research also explores how the historical and ongoing trauma from racism, police brutality, and violence in public spaces as well as, mobility inequity and lack of pathways to economic prosperity affect Black people’s well-being, social belonging, and sense of spatial entitlement.

“At the heart of this survey is filling a gap in what the other stats do not—which is to center Black people as wholly, human, spiritual beings. Previous research and stories often omit the impact of incidents related to lack of safety and restriction. What do those numbers mean? To Black people’s mental health, to Black people’s sense of self, to Black people’s belonging, to Black people’s imagination and aspirations? So, one of my main focuses was to re-humanize Black individuals and communities by creating space for their deep reflection, healing and dreaming aloud.”

Jay Pitter, Award-winning placemaker, adjunct urban planning professor and author

The BEING BLACK IN PUBLIC SURVEY uses a trauma-informed, asset-based approach that emphasizes Black joy and knowledge. Respondents were asked about positive experiences and memories in public spaces, with Pitter emphasizing the importance of learning from successes, not just tragedies.

Pitter also highlighted how Black communities contribute to public spaces.

“I didn’t want to reduce our experience in public to strictly a victim experience, because despite the auction block, centuries of anti-Black public space policy, and disproportionate experiences of violence and homelessness, Black peoples’ labour, placemaking expertise and culture have contributed so much to the form and vibrance of public spaces. We make public spaces lit.“

Jay Pitter

This approach of centering joy and honouring Black peoples’ placemaking contributions is a crucial example of how cities can engage with equity-deserving groups without compelling them to relive histories of oppression. Pitter noted that many respondents expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share their positive experiences and knowledge.

The findings from this study will be shared in an action-oriented report in February 2025, offering insights for cities and institutions on fostering real inclusion for Black communities in parks and other public spaces. Pitter shared some early findings: parks are among the most frequented public spaces by Black individuals and generally score well on physical safety. However, her early findings indicated that parks fall short in fostering Black cultural identity, deep belonging, and inclusive programming. 

Pitter sees significant opportunities for growth, including co-creation of spaces, representation in park leadership, power-sharing, and park events that elevate Black communities.

To learn more about how your city can enhance inclusion for Black communities in public spaces, stay tuned at jaypitter.com for the full report available in February 2025.

Recommendations 

  • Conduct community engagement with racialized communities using an asset based, trauma-informed approach focusing on moving towards conversations around celebrating cultural identity. 
  • Track inclusion in parks through more than measures of feelings of safety or a lack of anti-Black violence and discrimination. 
  • Use storytelling and other qualitative methods to create a more robust understanding of the data including socio-spatial issues and quality of experience in parks.
  • Provide Black communities with opportunities to co-create new parks, policies and park programs to strengthen cultural identity and sense of belonging to parks.