The Transformation of Landfills to Green Spaces: Identifying the Barriers and Benefits in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

Abstract

In Canada, policy makers and planners have been paying significantly more attention to developing and improving the quality of life in urban areas. One issue that has been gaining momentum is the cleanup and redevelopment of urban landfills. As urban sprawl continues to grow, neighborhoods and communities are slowly reaching the boundaries of these once ‘rural’ landfills, and are creating a variety of social and environmental concerns. There has been a growing recognition among community groups and environmental organizations that landfills hold enormous potential for ‘greening’ city environments.

Green space development has been emphasized throughout this study as a realistic and beneficial redevelopment opportunity. Instead of leaving a landfill site derelict and underutilized with no economic value, cities and municipalities have the opportunity to redevelop a site and create a community asset.

This objective of this study is to identify and examine the barriers and benefits to transforming landfills to green spaces in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The identification of these barriers was derived from three distinct research strategies: a literature review, three case studies, and sixteen professional interviews. The data for this thesis derived from the sixteen interviews, based on their responses in filling out a ‘barrier matrix’.

The GTA has achieved considerable success in converting landfills to green spaces largely due to government’s commitment, various financial incentives, effective public-private partnerships, and a growing demand for urban green spaces.