Friendly Streets: is a collaborative initiative between the Afro-Canadian Caribbean Association, Environment Hamilton, and the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion. The project is currently being centred on Black, Indigenous and Racialized Communities. This has stemmed from a recognition that streets are experienced in unique ways by different communities for various reasons and that the aforementioned communities have historically had marginalized roles in the formal development of our city's streets. Also, learning and sharing about these perspectives can help shift the evolution of our streets towards greater respect for the lives of those impacted by them.

Background: Originating as a pilot with Cycle Hamilton funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2017, designed to engage community stakeholders in Working together towards more walkable, bikeable and vibrant neighbourhoods the project targeted Hamilton’s downtown core, in the area surrounding the Hamilton General Hospital and straddling Wards 2 and 3.

We explore innovative ways to involve residents of differing backgrounds, abilities and age groups in assessing current challenges and barriers to active transportation and re-imagining neighbourhood streets as places that are enjoyable for walking and biking. We aligned project outcomes and recommendations with municipal transportation planning processes in order to influence the design of the neighbourhood streets to best serve community members.

Friendly Streets Toolkit

The Friendly Streets Toolkit is a living document that we developed in our first year of the initiative that continues to be updated as new information emerges. It includes a collectively developed strategy to address community needs and work together to pursue policy and infrastructure solutions.

Click on this link to access the Friendly Streets Toolkit.

Visit our blog to learn more about the project and project updates.