The question is not if we will create sustainable neighbourhoods, but how we will create them.

In 2004 and 2005, Waterfront Toronto released the final version of its Sustainability Framework. This document underwent extensive consultation before being finalized. The goal of the framework is clear: to ensure that sustainability principles are integrated in all facets of waterfront revitalization management, operations and decision-making.

The framework supports and promotes many of the public policies set out in the Government of Canada’s departmental Sustainable Development Strategies 2004-2006, the Government of Ontario’s Smart Growth strategies, and the City of Toronto’s Waterfront Scan and Environmental Improvement Strategy.

Focused on five broad goals, Waterfront Toronto’s framework identifies concrete short-, medium- and long-term actions that lead to remediated brownfields; reduced energy consumption; the construction of green buildings; improved air and water quality; expanded public transit; and diverse, vibrant downtown communities.

Achieving sustainability on Toronto’s waterfront will require commitment, determination and, most importantly, co-ordination. A truly sustainable community cannot be created piecemeal. The multi-faceted nature of sustainable development demands an integrated approach. With the mandate to oversee and lead waterfront renewal, Waterfront Toronto is uniquely positioned to make sustainability a reality.