Parkdale has been undergoing a wave of developments and investments that have significantly shifted the affordability of the neighbourhood. The rise of corporate landlords and the encroachment of private development applications along the Eastern border of Parkdale have economically evicted residential and commercial tenants at an unprecedented rate. Rather than accepting the fate of gentrification-driven displacement, the community has mobilized to protect the neighbourhood values of affordability, inclusivity, diversity, and equity.

The movement for Community Benefits centres the voices and interests of equity-seeking communities at the intersections of land use planning, urban growth, and public policy decisions. In Parkdale, we have launched the first neighbourhood-based grassroots Community Benefits Framework of its kind in the Canadian landscape. The Framework is a tool to establish community-driven targets and demands for affordable housing, affordable commercial, decent work, and community assets in new developments and investments throughout the neighbourhood.

The workshop series, “Building a Movement for Community Benefits in Parkdale,” will provide a space to learn how to build campaigns and coalitions for community benefits in Parkdale. We will review the key principles and community-driven demands outlined in the Community Benefits Framework in order to launch into an interactive workshop aimed focusing on key sites, policies, and steps for advancing community benefits negotiations. There will be a chance for participants to sign up to working groups for site-specific and policy-specific coalition building. Everyone is welcome!