TRACK 1, DAY 1
Community Engagement for Long-Term Success of Green Infrastructure
Luisa Martinez, RAINscapeTO and Jennifer Leung, City of Toronto
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | 1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. | Hall A
ABSTRACT
Maintenance is the largest lifecycle cost for most Green Infrastructure (GI) assets – particularly when compared to sod and right-of-way horticulture – making scalable, community-supported maintenance models essential for long-term success. As Toronto expands its GI network, the City is exploring innovative approaches to maintaining this essential infrastructure.
In 2021, the City launched GreenForceTO (GFTO), a workforce development program delivered by local social enterprises, RAINscapeTO and Building Up, to train and employ residents in GI maintenance. In 2025, the City and GFTO introduced a community stewardship pilot allowing local volunteers to “adopt” GI sites. Through targeted outreach and hands-on training – covering maintenance, the urban water cycle, and health and safety – volunteers complete maintenance tasks and report their work to the project manager, who ensures quality and accurate documentation.
The 2025 pilot was implemented at four sites in the city. Over 69 residents expressed interest, 26 became active participants, and volunteers collectively contributed 233.5 hours of maintenance in over 400m² of GI. This enthusiasm suggests that with the right training and support, community stewardship can serve as both a maintenance strategy and a catalyst for environmental literacy.
In 2026, the next phase will expand to more sites across the city, reducing lifecycle costs while creating pathways for residents to engage with – and benefit from – the growing green industry.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Luisa Martinez, RAINscapeTO
Luisa Martinez is the project manager for GreenForceTO, a project in collaboration between multiple City of Toronto divisions and programs (Transportation Services, Green Streets, Energy and Environment) and two local Employment Social Enterprises (RAINscapeTO and Building Up).
With over seven years of experience in landscape maintenance across residential, community, and public gardens, Luisa has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in sustaining healthy urban green spaces. This experience has helped her develop practical solutions to improve efficiency and care in horticultural operations. She has trained gardeners of all ages and skill levels, developed community garden programs, created maintenance reporting systems, and designed gardens suited to diverse maintenance needs
Luisa’s work is rooted in the belief that thriving cities depend on communities that see themselves as caretakers of the land. Through GreenForceTO, she strives to bridge technical expertise with community empowerment: honouring Indigenous teachings that remind us of our shared responsibility to live in reciprocity with the environment that sustains us.
Jennifer Leung, City of Toronto
Jennifer Leung is a Project Lead for the City of Toronto’s Transportation Green Streets Operations & Maintenance program; a key initiative focused on integrating and maintaining sustainable green infrastructure in the City’s right of way.
In her role, Jennifer oversees and assists in the development and implementation of operational strategies that ensure long-term performance and resilience of green assets. Her work emphasizes financial sustainability, data-driven decision-making, and collaboration with internal and external organizations to advance Transportation’s operational goals
Jennifer’s technical contributions include overseeing the Transportation horticulture contract within the right of way, supporting the development of the Green Streets Asset Management Framework, and leveraging GIS-based tools for data management across the city’s green infrastructure network.
Through these efforts, she plays a pivotal role in optimizing maintenance practices, improving lifecycle management, and embedding continuous improvement into program delivery.
Jennifer also holds an Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, with two specializations in Biophysical Systems; and Settlement Systems and Development.