Green Communities Canada and the Centre d’écologie urbaine are excited to launch our new online training series, Leading Living Cities: Embedding Equity in Green Infrastructure Projects. This training program consists of 7 online group sessions taking place from April to October 2026.

The program is designed for municipal and Indigenous government staff, as well as ENGOs working alongside local governments. Participants will be introduced to actionable tools and a proven methodology for equitably engaging communities in green infrastructure project planning, design, and implementation.

Local teams will conduct hands-on activities and apply learnings to their own context. Participants will work through a process of neighbourhood prioritization and site selection, then create an Outreach and Engagement Co-design Plan that can be used towards a specific green infrastructure project in their community.

Participants will benefit from a peer learning environment, skilled trainers with experience in participatory planning, design and implementation of green infrastructure projects, guest speakers, and experiential activities to move from theory to action.

For more information, please see the detailed program description below. To apply, please complete the intake form here. For any questions, please email Miriam Ponette at mponette@greencommunitiescanada.org

Detailed Program Description

Leading Living Cities

Embedding Equity in Green Infrastructure Projects through Planning, Design and Implementation

Part of the Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation Program

Description: 

Climate change risks and vulnerabilities disproportionately affect equity-deserving groups in under-natured areas. Green infrastructure (GI) addresses this by bringing nature back to our communities, moderating climate, managing stormwater, improving public health and more. Many local governments want to make equity a priority in their green infrastructure planning and design decisions, but struggle with the ‘how’.

The ‘Leading Living Cities: Embedding Equity in Green Infrastructure Projects’ online training series, delivered by Green Communities Canada in collaboration with the Centre d’écologie urbaine, equips local governments with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to launch their next GI initiative with equity at the center.

The program is designed for municipal and Indigenous government staff, as well as ENGOs working alongside local governments, who are ready to start planning their next green infrastructure initiative. Through a series of 7 online workshops, participants will be guided through a step-by-step process to select a high-impact neighbourhood and involve community members to conceptualize and design an Outreach and Engagement Co-design Plan that can be applied to a specific GI project in their community. Participants will be guided by skilled trainers with extensive experience in participatory planning, design and implementation of green infrastructure projects, guest speakers and hands-on activities to apply learnings directly to a project in their own community.

Participants: 

We are recruiting municipal and Indigenous communities of various sizes and from different areas of the country, in both English and French speaking regions. ENGOs working alongside local governments are also invited to participate. Each community must nominate two participants to complete the program. If pairing with an ENGO, these participants can be a combination of local government staff and the ENGO partner.

Principles:  

This project recognizes that green infrastructure (GI) supports resilient, equitable, and thriving communities. GI has the capacity to provide many co-benefits to local communities including increasing green space, carbon sequestration, flood protection and community engagement. 

Municipalities, ENGOs and Indigenous local governments have the desire to embed equity in GI planning and to engage community members, but often struggle with the ‘how’.

Local governments are eager to move from theory to action through applied learning activities, actionable tools and proven approaches.

Key output:

Each participating community will work through a process of neighbourhood prioritization and site selection, then create an Outreach and Engagement Co-design Plan that can be used towards a green infrastructure project in their community.    

Program outline and activities per session:

Session #1: Introduction and equity basics for green infrastructure planning

Individual coaching sessions:

Each community will also have the opportunity to book a 1-hour coaching session with program facilitators, for tailored support in completing an aspect of their OEP.

What benefits will participating communities gain from this program?  

• Specialized training on equitable approaches and engagement: Participants will be introduced to resources and methods for equitable site selection, and trained on how to engage with key actors for successful community engagement.

• Community Outreach and Engagement Co-design Plan: Throughout the training program, participants will work on a Plan that can be applied to a GI site in their own community. This will allow for better integration of theory and learnings, as well as permit communities to move directly to action and implementation.

• Local Partnership Development: The program encourages collaboration between local governments and ENGOs to strengthen relationships, benefit from each other’s strengths and work towards common objectives.

• Peer learning: Group sessions provide an opportunity for collaborative learning and sharing ideas across regions, communities and contexts.   

What commitment do we expect of Program Participants?

• To benefit fully from the process and allow for more productive design sessions, participants are asked to sign up as a minimum of two participants per community. This pairing can be two local government staff, two ENGO participants, or a combination. If participants are unable to find a partner participant, they will be paired with participants from another community to work on a case study.

• Participants must commit to attending all 7 workshops, to integrate key learnings, work through session activities and complete their community’s plan.   

• The time required will be 1.5 hours per month for the 7 monthly sessions, from April-October 2026. Additional asynchronous time between sessions is encouraged to further refine program deliverables, but this is optional. An optional 1-hour coaching session is also offered.

• There is no budget requirement to participate in the program.  

Application Process

To register for the program, complete this application form.

For more information, contact:

Leading Living Cities: Embedding Equity in Green Infrastructure Projects is part of GCC’s Leading Living Cities Training Program. This project is carried out with funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund and the Government of Canada.