With the generous support of The Toronto Foundation’s Deacon Legacy Grant, TCAT has been conducting a study to better understand access to Toronto’s parks and multiuse trails and to provide decision-makers with guidance on trail improvements and programming that could make the biggest difference for equity-deserving groups. To supplement the first phase of our study (our first report), we organized a series of focus groups, key informant interviews, and a walk audit with women and newcomers to better understand the distinct barriers these groups face to accessing and enjoying the trail system as much as they could and would like to.
Our second report entitled “How can we make Toronto’s multiuse trails and ravines better spaces for women & newcomers?” synthesizes key insights from our conversations with community members and recommends four priority areas for enhancing Toronto’s green space through this equity-based lens. The focus group facilitation guide and walk audit guide the TCAT team used for our qualitative research are available as separate resources that non-profits, community organizations, and individual citizens can use to investigate barriers to trail access in their own neighbourhoods.