Welcome to 2020! As we look ahead to a new decade and the launch of the City of Toronto’s 2020 budget, we decided to take stock of Toronto at the end of the ‘10s, so that we may learn from the past and chart a new path forward. 

Our Toronto After a Decade of Austerity: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly report looks at how our city has progressed, declined, or stagnated over the past decade in three key areas:

1. housing,
2. child care, and
3. public transit, cycling, and walking.

We assess the current state of the city after a decade of austerity budgets using 20 quantitative indicators and offer resolutions to build a better city. Three immediate options are to:

Last week, Mayor John Tory proposed increasing property taxes for affordable housing and transit investments. Today, Social Planning Toronto sent a thank you letter to Mayor John Tory (full text below).

Call your Councillor and let them know you want them to do the right thing by voting in favour of this investment in our collective well-being at Council's meeting next week!

Toronto’s governance challenges have existed for many years and the reduction in our Council size has only deepened these challenges. The city is due for a review of its governance model given innovations in municipal engagement practices, new research on electoral reform, and changes in provincial and federal approaches to areas such as housing and transit. As such, the Special Committee’s work is both urgent and overdue. 

The City should develop a full and proper response to Bill 5. This requires a review of formal governance and of practices of public engagement. In our view, the Special Committee work plan should be extended for two years, giving it time to put forward robust and impactful recommendations to City Council. See the full letter to the Special Committee on Governance below:

2019 Call for Nominations to the Social Planning Toronto Board of Directors to Fill One Vacancy 

Social Planning Toronto (SPT) is a non-profit, charitable community organization that works to improve equity, social justice, and quality of life in Toronto through community capacity building, community education and advocacy, policy research and analysis, and social reporting.

SPT is governed by a 15-person volunteer Board of Directors who are committed to the purposes and mission of SPT and to the important role of independent community social planning in helping to shape the quality of life for all of Toronto’s residents. There is currently one vacancy on the Board of Directors and SPT is seeking nominations to fill that vacancy. The term runs until May 2020 with re-election at the 2020 AGM.

Today a coalition of more than 70 Toronto community leaders, groups, and organizations urged Mayor John Tory and City Council to demonstrate what it means to build a budget that is for all people, especially the most vulnerable among us.

Read the full text of their open letter below.

Did you know that major changes are happening to education in Ontario — including funding cuts, increased class sizes, and mandatory e-learning? Last week, Social Planning Toronto, the Coalition for Alternatives to Streaming in Education (CASE), and Working Women Community Centre hosted a panel to discuss how these changes might impact academic streaming, equity, and the state of public education in Ontario.

Toronto's neighbourhoods and communities are shaped by people who inspire and connect us. Every year, Social Planning Toronto honours extraordinary individuals with our Frances Lankin Community Service Award. 

We are thrilled to announce this year's recipients!

Are you experiencing rising rents, or concerned about new developments and housing affordability in Jane–Finch? Are you interested in learning from other resident groups and experts on how to improve housing conditions in the neighbourhood? Come to the Jane–Finch Housing Town Hall!

The Board of Directors of Social Planning Toronto

Invite you to attend the 2019
Annual General Meeting