Have you ever wondered how the City of Toronto consults residents on proposed changes to their neighbourhood?

Whether it’s building a new housing development or closing a park for maintenance, the City of Toronto usually sets up meetings to inform and get feedback from the community.

City staff regularly post “Planning and Development Review Consultations,” where you can find information on how to provide your input on proposed development applications, area-based planning studies and policy initiatives in your neighbourhood.

Some meetings are held in-person at a specified time and location — usually close to the proposed development site or in the neighbourhood relevant to the consultation.

Occasionally, the consultation takes a drop-in format where you can just walk in to chat with and give feedback to city staff over a set period of hours.

Other meetings are held virtually through a Webex conference — and you must register ahead of time using the links provided on the city’s website.  Once you’ve registered, you will receive an email with the web link and call-in numbers to join the webinar. You will not be able to join the meeting without this information.

Each proposal (and its associated community consultation meeting) will have a contact person listed. You can email them, and your elected city councillor, with any questions, comments or suggestions about the proposal after the meeting.

Consultation sessions are also a good time to talk to your neighbours about proposals that impact your neighbourhood. Local community organizations such as the Kensington Market or Chinatown land trusts frequently attend these consultations to provide their input collectively.

Are there any community consultations that you’re curious about, and that you’d like us to cover? Reach out to hello@thegreenline.to to let us know.