Public Voice
Since its creation, Waterfront Toronto has put the public’s voice at the centre of its planning and revitalization efforts. Engaging and listening to the public at every step has produced better outcomes while offering the space to create new ideas, solve problems and reflect the lived experience of diverse people into our work.
Public Consultation: From Light to Deep Engagement
We work to make sure the public good is at the heart
of the waterfront revitalization process. How do we know what people who will live, work and play in the neighbourhoods we develop want? We make space and provide resources for people to learn about our projects so they can then work with us to get the best possible outcomes for their waterfront.
Our public consultation approach is designed to provide all participants with a realistic understanding of the goals of the process, how decisions will be made and the impact of their participation.
To give the public the best chance to give meaningful feedback on projects, we use a spectrum of engagement opportunities from "inform" and "listen" to “co-create” and "empower."
Find out how you can get involved with Waterfront Toronto.
Our Process
We make opportunities for people to get as involved as they can. This might mean filling out a digital survey, chatting online, chatting with us a an event or reading an article in our newsletter. Deeper engagement could mean joining a virtual or in-person public meeting. Those looking to get more involved might join a focus group or advisory committees.
After every consultation, we report back to participants on how their feedback was incorporated into the overall plans through our meeting summaries, websites, blogs and newsletters.
Our Public Consultation Principles
Act with Clarity and Purpose
We act with purpose, communicate our goals with accuracy and we are honest with stakeholders about their impact on the decision-making process.
Commit to an Ongoing Process
We acknowledge that engagement is an ongoing process of dialogue, dissent, consensus building and learning. We continuously evaluate our approaches, maintain a sustained dialogue with our partners and revisit our assumptions to ensure we are achieving our goals.
Support Diversity and Inclusion
We work hard to eliminate barriers to participation and to ensure representative, diverse and inclusive engagement.
Cultivate Collaboration
We recognize that city-building is a shared responsibility that requires coordinated efforts. We are committed to sharing knowledge, decision-making and resources.
Stakeholder Advisory Committees
For most of our projects we establish a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) to provide us with an ongoing forum for advice, feedback and guidance at key points during the planning and urban design process.
While the composition of each SAC is unique to each project, in general SACs are comprised of representatives from interested and affected stakeholders and organizations as well as those with specific expertise related to the project.
We make every effort to ensure that SACs are inclusive and represent the full range of interest and perspectives. Typically membership includes community representatives through neighbourhood associations, condominium boards and/or residents at large; representatives for business through business improvement associations, area businesses or land owners, and/or trade associations; and representatives from advocacy groups such as cycling associations, environmental groups, and heritage and cultural associations.
To continue engaging with the public during the construction phase of a project, we form a Construction Liaison Committee (CLC) for major construction projects and hold Construction Information Sessions for smaller scale construction projects. The CLC offers a structured opportunity for residents, businesses, land owners and other special sector groups in the vicinity of the project area to discuss issues related to construction.
These committees are formed on a project-by-project basis.
Questions about how to get involved? Contact us here.
View Our Helpful Resources
View our archive of reports, studies, meeting notes, public presentations, and more. Search by document type or by keyword to find what you're looking for.
Upcoming Events
Search our calendar or view a list of upcoming events. We will post Board and Committee meetings, public meetings, fun waterfront happenings, and more.