TD GreenSights Report uncovers room for
improvement of Canada's green
spaces
TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - According to a recent
survey, the vast majority of Canadians (95 per cent) agree that
access to community green space will be important to their quality
of life in the future, but three-quarters feel that their local
green space could be better. These are two of the key findings of
TD Bank Group's GreenSights Report, released today as part of the
TD Common Ground Project, an initiative focused on revitalizing
over 150 community green spaces across Canada in recognition of the country's
150th year.
"Canadians agree, community green spaces are an integral part of
our identity," said Karen
Clarke-Whistler, Chief Environment Officer, TD Bank Group. "As the
pace of life around us intensifies, Canadians value outdoor spaces
in their communities where they can find common ground. We're proud
to continue addressing this need by rejuvenating public green
spaces, and ensuring that they're functional, modern and inclusive
for generations to come."
Among the key findings of the TD GreenSights Report:
- Room for improvement. While many Canadians make it a
point to get out and visit their community green space regularly,
with six-in-10 (60 per cent) saying they do so once a week or more,
77 per cent feel there is room for improvement. When asked how the
community green space closest to their home could be better, common
enhancements include more public picnic areas, natural playgrounds
and even solar lighting, the latter a nod to the growing interest
in sustainable buildings and infrastructure.
- A place to escape. When asked to list what they like to
do most in their local green space, the top-three cited activities
listed by Canadians are all linked to escapism: 43 per cent say
they relax on their own; 42 per cent want to connect with nature;
and 41 per cent opt to relax with family and friends. Further,
technology is not a priority for Canadians' enjoyment of green
spaces with only 13 per cent and 8 per cent respectively
considering access to free Wi-Fi and electric charging stations to
be very important.
- Values and trade-offs. The report also finds that
Canadians place a high priority on proximity to community green
space when selecting a neighbourhood in which to live, ranking at
18 per cent, closely behind "proximity to good schools," (23 per
cent) and "easy access to public transit" (19 percent), and above
"walkable neighbourhood," (15 per cent). Similarly, the report
indicates that Canadians would be willing to make sacrifices to
ensure community green spaces are preserved, with 40 per cent
agreeing that preserving green spaces should come at the expense of
commercial development. This is followed by housing development (24
per cent) and parking (20 per cent).
- A green space for all. When designing community green
spaces for the future, Canadians believe a diverse mix of groups
should be considered. These include families with young children
(70 per cent of respondents), seniors (57 per cent) and people with
disabilities (53 per cent). Generationally, Millennials are the
most inclusive age group, identifying it as important to consider
New Canadians (15 per cent) and Indigenous people (12 per cent) –
compared to an average of 9 per cent and 5 per cent by other age
groups.
- Sustainability is top of mind. Designing environmentally
sustainable community green spaces is important to Canadians, no
matter the price tag. Regardless of age, 94 per cent agree that
natural sustainable playground equipment would be important for
their local community green space.
"Sensory-rich community green spaces are the rare places in our
cities where human barriers drop," said Adam Bienenstock, an award-winning designer of
natural playgrounds, and participant in a recent roundtable
discussion organized by TD. "Achieving sustainability in our parks
and playgrounds requires us to incorporate real, raw nature into
every experience. These are the places where we will inspire the
next generation of urban environmental stewards."
About the TD GreenSights Report
The TD GreenSights
Report is part of #TDCommonGround, an initiative recognizing
Canada's 150th year. It
contains data from a TD Survey commissioned by TD Bank Group and
conducted by Environics Research. Also included in the report
is insight from a recent roundtable, the TD Common Ground Think
Tank, which brought together experts in the field to discuss the
current and future use of Canada's
green spaces.
The TD GreenSights Report can be downloaded here. A video with
additional insight from the TD Common Ground Think Tank can be
viewed here.
About the TD Survey
Environics Research conducted a
quantitative online survey of 1,501 Canadian adults. The fieldwork
was completed using an online methodology between July 18 and July 26, 2017. As online
surveys are not considered random probability samples, no margin of
error was assigned.
About TD Bank Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its
subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the
"Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves more than
25 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number
of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian
Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD
Wealth (Canada), TD Direct
Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank,
America's Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth
(U.S.), and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking,
including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading
online financial services firms, with approximately 11.5 million
active online and mobile customers. TD had $1.2 trillion in assets on July 31, 2017. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades
under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
SOURCE TD Bank Group