Create a city that's great for an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old, and you'll create a city that's great for all.

Toronto, ON
Joined December 2014
✨ It's Day 2 and the final day of the 2026 Ontario Community Changemakers Studio! Today, we'll visit two incredible community spaces that demonstrate the power of creativity, resident leadership, and community-driven change. We'll begin at Mabelle Arts in Etobicoke, where participants will learn about the transformation of Mabelle Park and The Belle, a vibrant community hub created through years of grassroots organizing, partnership, and local leadership. We'll then head to Miraki Life Workspace in Toronto's Dundas West and Roncesvalles neighbourhood, a creative hub built around collaboration, innovation, and meaningful connection. The day will feature peer learning, project development, conversations with OCC alumni, collective reflection, and co-creating our OCC Community Agreement. We'll close the Studio by celebrating everything we've shared and learned together! 💙 The journey doesn't end here. It's just the beginning. #OCChangemakers #SocialInclusion #CivicEngagement #PublicSpace #BalsamFoundation #Ontario #Canada
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Application for School Atreets alert👇🏼Apply now!
Applications for Mississauga’s 2026/2027 School Streets program close October 31. The program creates safer school zones by temporarily limiting vehicle traffic, making it easier for students and families to walk, bike or roll to school. Parents, caregivers and teachers, help bring School Streets to your community by encouraging your school to apply before the deadline. Learn more: bit.ly/3TKl3M5
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🎉 Welcome hashtag#OCChangemakers! We are excited to host this fantastic group of 30 changemakers from across Ontario in our beloved city. Our OCC program gives them the chance to connect, learn, and inspire one another as they work to activate public space, enhance civic engagement, and foster social inclusion in their communities. Day 1 takes us to the beautiful Clark Centre for the Arts and Guild Park & Gardens on the Scarborough Bluffs, where we'll explore themes of connection, community, and leadership. Participants will hear from Selina Young and Grandma Liz about connecting with each other and the land, gain practical tools and resources from Park People's Destiny Laldeo, and share inspiring projects they're leading in their own communities. We'll wrap up the day with reflection, conversation, and a shared meal catered by Eat More Scarborough, featuring Howard Tam. Stay tuned for highlights of the day! #OCChangemakers #socialinclusion #civicengagement #publicspace #balsamfoundation #ontario #canada
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The weather might be getting cooler, but that doesn't mean we're staying inside! This past spring and summer, the Growing Healthy Places: Mississauga team worked with students and educators in the 10 activation schools to reimagine and transform their school grounds into spaces that support low-barrier play, movement, and outdoor learning. With school back in session, we've been visiting schools and introducing fun, creative, and inclusive ways to get outside, move our bodies, and explore our surroundings. ✔️Some highlights include: 🚶🏼‍➡️At Silver Creek P.S., Growing Healthy Places welcomed students on Walk to School Day with a fundamental movement path and fall-themed movement signage complete with healthy treats ⛳At The Valleys Sr. P.S., we hosted pop-up mini-putt stations to encourage non-competitive and non-traditional sport open to all️ 🎨 At Ridgewood P.S. and Elm Drive P.S., we asked students to temporarily transform their tarmac into spaces for creative freedom and play 🐿️At Nahani Way P.S., we observed seasonal changes and asked students to imagine their ideal fall habitats on Take Me Outside Day 🙌🏼From Walk to School Month, Take Me Outside Week, and all the classes in between, Growing Healthy Places proudly encourages getting outdoors and active, no matter the season. Even as temperatures cool, we look forward to creating warm outdoor spaces for connection, exploration, and a variety of ways to experience the outdoors. 💫This is just the beginning – stay tuned for more examples of low-barrier seasonal activities throughout the school year! ❓How are you celebrating Take Me Outside Week or Walk to School Month? Share with us in the comments below! Thank you to our partners @opheacanada @regionofpeel @PeelSchools @BrockUniversity @novonordisk and @citymississauga for making this work possible. #GrowingHealthyPlaces #Mississauga #HealthyChildren #FoodEquity #GrowingHealthy #HealthyCommunities
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Great news from @opheacanada 👇🏼Congratulations for this expansion!
We are thrilled to share that #GrowingHealthyPlaces is expanding to Thunder Bay! Excited to work with local partners: Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, &@mylakehead @880Cities @novonordisk Learn More: bit.ly/3U1EjVu
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8 80 Cities retweeted
In May, Walk Toronto was part of the Pedestrian Summit organized by @880Cities and other groups, which attracted a large and enthusiastic crowd. 8-80Cities has now put together an "Engagement Summary" of the event (PDF) sharing hightlights 880cities.org/wp-content/upl…
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📢 The 10/26 deadline is fast approaching! Submit an application for PPS's #CommunityPlacemaking#Grants: #StreetsasPlaces w/ @GM. Learn more about how you can apply for a $75K grant to transform a public space for improved street safety & usability. 🔗 pps.org/community-placemakin…
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Great opportunity to create safer routes to school! Applications are now open! Details 👇🏼 🙌🏼@citymississauga
Mississauga's School Streets program is helping create safer routes to school! 🚶 By temporarily closing roads to vehicle traffic during drop-off or pickup times, the program reduces congestion and makes it easier for students to walk, bike or roll to school. Applications are open to eligible elementary and middle schools until October 31. Learn more: bit.ly/3TKl3M5
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Mississauga's School Streets program is helping create safer routes to school! 🚶 By temporarily closing roads to vehicle traffic during drop-off or pickup times, the program reduces congestion and makes it easier for students to walk, bike or roll to school. Applications are open to eligible elementary and middle schools until October 31. Learn more: bit.ly/3TKl3M5
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8 80 Cities retweeted
Exciting School Nutrition initiatives happening as part of #GrowingHealthyPlaces! Very proud to be part of this collaborative project. @880Cities @BrockUniversity @PeelSchools @citymississauga @novonordisk @ROPpublichealth @regionofpeel
Thank you Cook Smart for an engaging and informative session with our Gr. 6 students today! Students learned about making healthy food choices and had fun exploring nutrition through the Sneaky Pesk video and the Choose Smart message. 🍎🥕 #CookSmart #ChooseSmart #HealthyLiving
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8 80 Cities retweeted
🔴 Now live from #ICUH2026: @Penalosa_G of @880Cities explores how cities can make healthy living the easy choice through better policies, infrastructure, and programs. With the support of @novonordisk.
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Exciting news! Join us in welcoming our 2026 #OCChangemakers, who will be pursuing projects to invigorate change in their local communities. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish! 🔗 Meet the #OCChangemakers: ontariocommunitychangemakers…
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Recently, 8 80 Cities leaders led a walking tour for #AdaptationCanada, showcasing Toronto's east-end streets as tools for #climateaction. #880Cities #Placemaking #ActiveMobility #CompleteStreet #ClimateAdaptation
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On September 30, we honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Truth and Reconciliation begins by listening to lived experiences with humility, compassion, and respect. This day is an opportunity to reflect on the enduring impacts of residential schools, honour the children who never returned home, and recognize the strength, resilience, and leadership of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Truth and Reconciliation requires more than reflection. It calls for ongoing learning, meaningful relationships, accountability, and action. At 8 80 Cities, we are committed to advancing reconciliation through our work and organizational practices. As we continue to learn, we strive to: 🔸 Support Indigenous-led programs, initiatives, and public space activations. 🔸 Integrate Indigenous perspectives, cultural awareness training, and ongoing learning into our team's professional development and organizational culture. 🔸 Build reciprocal relationships with Indigenous organizations and partners, ensuring Indigenous knowledge and contributions are respected and fairly compensated. Our human rights and anti-oppression approach has been strengthened through guidance from Indigenous partners who remind us that our responsibility extends beyond one another to the land, water, and air that sustain us. As we work toward creating healthier, more equitable, and inclusive communities, we recognize the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of Indigenous knowledge in shaping a more just future. Today, we encourage everyone to take time to listen, learn, reflect, and act in support of Truth and Reconciliation. #TruthAndReconciliationDay #OrangeShirtDay #EveryChildMatters #Reconciliation #IndigenousPeoples #880Cities
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The September #880Cities newsletter is here! Learn about our work, explore articles and resources, and see what our team has been up to. 🌍 Read the latest issue: ow.ly/gFY050ZSlH2 #CreatingCitiesForAll
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Summer was busy for Growing Healthy Places in Mississauga as we prepared for back to school! ☀️🎒 We spent the summer refreshing school spaces, with painted tarmac games and activities, new seating, shade, and more. As part of this 8 80 Cities and @opheacanada collaborative project, our 8 80 team is leading the activation of school spaces, working alongside partners and school communities to bring co-created ideas into the physical spaces. Now it is time to welcome students back. As the school year gets underway and the fall season comes into full swing 🍂, we will be back in these spaces with continued programming that gives students opportunities to play, move, connect, and help shape how their school spaces are used. Stay tuned to see how we will bring these spaces to life, inspire school communities, and bring students into the process throughout the school year. ➡️ Swipe through for a look at some of the summer transformation
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8 80 Cities retweeted
Meet #ICUH2026 plenary speaker @Penalosa_G, Founder and Chair of @880Cities and Founder of Cities for Everyone. He joins Plenary 3 to explore how intergenerational public spaces, walking and cycling can support healthy urban living across the lifecourse icuh2026.org/
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📣The 8 80 Cities August Newsletter is now out! As we continue to celebrate our 20th anniversary, we share a new blog post on our 20-year series, this time sharing a collection of some of our Resources & Toolkits that we have developed throughout these years as part of our programs, projects and partnerships; and, as always, a set of curated articles, videos and podcast episodes, and a list of upcoming events. 😊Enjoy! 🔗Read it here: mailchi.mp/880cities.org/8-8… #880Cities #CReatingCitiesForAll #20Years
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This past July, Toronto became a gathering place for people from around the world to attend the long-awaited FIFA World Cup. They walk our streets and share public spaces to enjoy the games. As we reflected on the impacts of such an event in our city, from public to private view parties and events, we invited David Roberts, professor of Urban Studies at the University of Toronto and Research Co-Director of a research team assessing Human Rights and FIFA 2026, to discuss how the games affected the way we use public spaces, which individuals are neglected in the process, and what cities can do to ensure that future events like this promote a more inclusive and accessible space for everyone. By 8 80 Manager of Communications, Camila Uriona, and Summer Communications Volunteer, Hannah Huen. Read on! 880cities.org/what-july-taug… #880Cities #RightToPublicSpace #FIFA
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Did you know that in the past year there were 11 School Streets programs implemented in Canada? In our new blog post, our Director of Programs & Develpment, Jiya Beni, shares the journey of this exciting program that aims to support safe and fun active transportation for kids and their caregivers during drop-off and pick-up times! 🔗 Read the full story here: 880cities.org/a-collaborativ… #880Cities #NewBlog #NASSI #SchoolStreets
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