Promising Practices for Resident Engagement

Overview

From July 2022 to March 2023, the Toronto Strong Neighbourhood Strategy (TSNS) Advisory Group partnered with Social Planning Toronto to research best practices for resident engagement. The project centered the expertise of resident leaders across Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs) and Emerging Neighbourhoods.

My Role

As a member of the TSNS Advisory Group, I co-designed these consultations. This included formulating productive questions to gather actionable best practices from resident leaders and adapting them for different formats, such as multilingual surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews. I then ran a consultation in my own North Scarborough neighborhood.

Key Objectives

• Identify tools and approaches that encourage meaningful engagement and trust-based partnerships.
• Ensure research reflects the perspectives of equity-deserving residents.
• Align consultations with City of Toronto equity strategies.

Methodology & Impact

The recommendations stem from feedback gathered from 164 residents across 34 neighbourhoods. The final report includes direct quotes as illustrative examples of best practices shared during these consultations, serving as a resource for ongoing community development.