Canada-wide Data
2022 Survey

We surveyed 30 cities about trends and challenges in the past year, including how Covid-19 impacted their work.

## Trends, Challenges & Covid-19 Impacts

Trends
% of cities said interest in X has

In looking at top trends this year, we’re noticing a continued interest in park features that support daily life, including dog walking; growing, cooking or eating food; and getting some exercise on a multi-use trail. In addition, there is increasing attention on the need for parks to support inclusion, through elements like universally accessible design and Indigenous programming.

We’re also seeing a renewed interest in digital infrastructure, like free wi-fi in parks or park-based apps, which seemed to have waned during the pandemic. In 2020, 44% of cities mentioned that interest in digital infrastructure was increasing. This fell to just 26% in 2021, but has jumped back up to 48% this year.

We asked cities whether interest in the following park elements has increased, stayed about the same, or decreased over the past year.

Increased
93
%
off-leash dog areas
86
%
food growing, cooking & selling opportunities (e.g., community gardens, edible orchards, farmers markets, bake ovens)
86
%
multi-use trails (e.g., walking, cycling)
83
%
Indigenous engagement/programming
79
%
universally accessible designs
71
%
naturalized areas in parks
59
%
alcohol and substance use in parks
59
%
adventure play (e.g., nature playgrounds, loose parts play)
55
%
green infrastructure developments in parks (e.g., rain gardens and bioswales)
52
%
unstructured spaces to just hang out (i.e., rather than participate in organized activities)
48
%
volunteer-based natural stewardship and education opportunities (i.e., tree planting, invasive pulling, etc.)
45% said not changed, 7% said decreased
48
%
outdoor fitness equipment
45% said not changed, 7% said decreased
Stayed about the same
79
%
privately-owned public space development (i.e., publicly accessible spaces secured by the municipality on privately owned land)
77
%
non-profit partnerships to co-manage park operations, programming, or engagement
75
%
private investments in parks (e.g., philanthropy, corporate sponsorships/donations)
69
%
park friends groups (i.e., friends of X park)
52
%
outdoor spaces for organized sports
52
%
digital infrastructure (e.g., wi-fi, park-based apps)
Challenges
% of cities said X was a challenge

This year, many cities are experiencing challenges around maintaining parks to a high standard, with concerns around aging infrastructure and revitalizing parks to meet changing needs at the forefront. Cities are struggling to protect and enhance biodiversity and naturalized areas in parks, while those spaces are being threatened by climate change and extreme weather events.

While acquiring and expanding parkland to meet growth needs is an increasing challenge for cities (58% in 2021, 69% in 2022), this challenge isn’t experienced evenly across the country. This year, 62% of cities indicated that this was a major challenge, 7% said it was a minor challenge, and 28% said it was not a significant challenge. In general, more urban and densely populated cities are seriously grappling with providing more green space to a growing population, while smaller cities in suburban or rural areas either still have room to grow or are already meeting their residents’ green space needs.

97
%
aging infrastructure and asset management
93
%
revitalizing/redesigning parks to meet changing needs
93
%
addressing impacts from climate change and extreme weather damage (e.g., flooding, fires and droughts)
90
%
houselessness in parks
90
%
protecting/enhancing biodiversity and natural environments
86
%
insufficient operating budget
79
%
engaging hard to reach groups
76
%
collecting data on park use
69
%
acquiring/expanding parkland to meet growth needs
55
%
addressing systemic inequities and discrimination in parks
Covid-19 Impacts

As municipalities move into pandemic recovery, Covid-19’s impacts on park planning, amenities, programs, operations and budgets remain at the fore. However, we’re seeing cities shift focus from meeting immediate public safety needs, toward longer term planning based on new trends and demands emerging from the pandemic. This includes expanding park maintenance, making pilot programs spurred during the pandemic permanent, and addressing the overuse of trails and natural areas through education and signage.

Park Budgets and Planning
93
%
said Covid negatively impacted park capital budgets and planning.
73
%
said Covid negatively impacted park operating budgets.
Engagement and Programming
92
%
said that new park programs or pilots sparked by Covid have been extended or made permanent.
92
%
said Covid changed the way the municipality engaged with communities about park projects.
e.g. more intentional outreach to equity-seeking groups, more online methods
76
%
said that park use increased in 2021, compared to 2020.
48
%
said the municipality offered social services in parks during the pandemic, either provided directly by the municipality or through a non-profit partner.
e.g. pop-up food banks/distribution or vaccination clinics
31
%
said the municipality increased the presence of by-law officers in parks in 2021 to enforce physical distancing.
Nature Impacts
72
%
said the municipality had to address overuse of natural areas and/or trails during the pandemic due to increased visitors and use.
e.g. through educational campaigns, signage, etc.
59
%
said the municipality expanded nature stewardship program offerings or is considering new/expanded natural stewardship program offerings due to increased interest since the pandemic.
e.g. tree planting, invasive pulling, guided walks
Don’t see your city on the list?
Thirty cities participated in this year's report and we hope more will join us next year.
Learn how to participate in 2023 ↗