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Neighbourhood greening projects harness the energy and creativity of residents in order to clean, protect and enhance green spaces in our city.
This guide offers residents ways to beautify, transform and celebrate green spaces in your neighbourhood. Explore each of the sections and steps below to learn how to lead a greening project in your neighbourhood. You can also access this printer-friendly version to easily share with your neighbours or view the digital book below.
This quick checklist outlines a few steps your group may need to take while planning a greening project:
Whether you’re leading a pollinator project or organizing a community clean-up, we know that every project is unique! That’s why we recommend that you connect with the Neighbourhood Development Office for more resources and information to help support your neighbourhood project.
Neighbourhood greening projects may include:
Depending on the neighbourhood greening project you choose, benefits may include:
Help bring your neighbourhood to life by planning one of the neighbourhood greening projects covered in this guide, or by developing your own idea to make your neighbourhood greener!
Food forests feature edible plantings, such as berry bushes, fruit trees and herbs. Unlike community gardens, food forests do not require as much upkeep.
Some questions to consider when planning a pollinator project include:
A sustainable urban forest can only be achieved when residents, City staff and community organizations work together!
This year, LoveMyHood will support resident groups who are interested in making their community a little bit greener through a neighbourhood-wide tree planting pilot.
As a resident, you can create and maintain your very own pollinator patch, wildflower meadow or pollinator-friendly planter boxes in your neighbourhood with the help of City staff.
Pollinator projects can be a great, low-maintenance way to provide wildlife habitats and create a positive impact for pollinators in the city.
Some questions to consider when planning a pollinator project include:
City staff can provide more information and resources, including:
We can also provide you with a full list recommended native plants for pollinators, including information on:
Residents leading pollinator projects may also be interested in including habitat areas, too. Habitat areas may include bird and bat houses or bee boxes.
Similar to pollinator projects, there are a few things you should consider before planning a wildlife habitat project:
Will where the project be located?
How much maintenance can your group commit to?
How big of a project do you want to undertake? Again, this may depend on the location and space.
When planning a wildlife habitat project on city land, staff can provide assistance with:
Location assessment and initial site preparation.
Habitat planning.
Installation of the habitat
Residents can enhance their pollinator or wildlife habitat projects through education programs, including:
Education programs can be developed in response to the location of the project and with assistance from Kitchener's Natural Areas Program (KNAP)
Greening your neighbourhood can be as simple as organizing a clean-up with your neighbours. To organize a community clean-up in your neighbourhood, follow these steps:
For more information, visit the Community Clean-ups page.
With the help of a LoveMyHood grant and consultation with city staff, neighbours can develop a number of projects that work to conserve and clean fresh water throughout our city, including:
Some questions you’ll want to consider before choosing your project include:
City staff can provide more tools and resources, including:
Cost estimate worksheets.
Before you start a project, we recommend that you connect with the Neighbourhood Development Office. The Neighbourhood Development Office is your first point of contact for all LoveMyHood initiatives and the driving force for the LoveMyHood strategy. We will connect you with a Project Coordinator single point of contact who can help you get started on your neighbourhood project.
How much will a greening project cost?
Costs will vary significantly depending the scope of your idea for the project. It could range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Yes! Funding for a greening project may be available through our LoveMyHood Matching Grant, or a number of other sources. You can also seek donations from partners or businesses. Just ask City staff to help you explore your options.
Overall, the entire project could take several months to complete depending on the project type. The most time-consuming part of a project may be working with your neighbours and city staff to plan larger-scale projects.
When planning a project on city-owned land, consult with City staff to determine what permits and approvals may be required. This will vary depending on your project.
How much maintenance is required?
Neighbourhood greening projects require different levels of maintenance. It’s recommended to connect with City staff in the early stages of your project planning to find out if maintenance for your project is required.
Contact Us
City of Kitchener Love My Hood
200 King Street West,
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4G7
Telephone: 519-741-2345
TTY: 1-866-969-9994
Email: lovemyhood@kitchener.ca
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