We create urban green spaces that:
- Help Canadian cities become more resilient to the effects of climate change
- Are accessible for everyone
- Make our communities more vibrant and liveable places

Why Green Infrastructure?

Green infrastructure helps make urban areas work more like natural systems.
When we develop cities, we replace natural vegetation and soils with hard surfaces, like buildings, roads, and parking lots. This interrupts the natural functions the land used to provide—such as absorbing and purifying stormwater, filtering the air, providing habitat to animals and pollinators, regulating temperature, and more.
Losing these natural functions makes our cities more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, like flooding and extreme heat. It also makes our cities less sustainable, healthy, and joyous places to live.
Advancing green infrastructure in our urban areas helps to integrate these critical services into our communities.
Green Infrastructure Programs

Living Cities Canada Fund
Our Living Cities Canada program is advancing green infrastructure in cities and towns across the country.
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Mini Forests
Our Mini Forest program supports local partner organizations and municipalities to transform under-natured sites into thriving urban forests.
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Depave Paradise
At Depave Paradise events, local volunteers gather to reclaim the soil. Using pry bars and shovels, community members break up an area of unused pavement and turn it into living green space.
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Leading Living Cities Training Program
Launched in 2025, this training program supports municipalities, ENGOs, and Indigenous communities to develop local policy pathways that advance green infrastructure using GCC’s Living Cities Policy Framework and online training program.
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RAIN Gardens
Our free online RAIN Garden Master Class provides participants with all the resources and tools necessary to design and implement rain gardens at home and in the community.
Learn MoreAction Project Map
We are advancing green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in communities across Canada.
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Brooklands School Depave Project

Twin Views Communal Garden Depave Project

Miles Macdonell Collegiate Depave Initiative
Green Infrastructure Stories
Good news is growing in communities across Canada.

Intake Open for 2026 Demonstrate Stream of Living Cities Canada Fund
Apply by December 1, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET Apply Now We’re excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 Demonstrate Stream…
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Response to 2025 Federal Budget
While Green Communities Canada (GCC) welcomes the confirmation of several commitments in the 2025 Federal Budget, we await crucial details on investments in nature-based solutions, active transportation, and electrifying…
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Digging Deeper: How Soil Health Research Supports Canada’s Mini Forest Movement
The healthy growth of any planting project depends on its foundation: the soil provides the structure, nutrients, and microbial life that our gardens and forests…
Continue ReadingGreen Infrastructure Resources
Green Communities Canada has developed useful resources to support a wide variety of community-based green infrastructure initiatives. From participator site planning and designing, to video guides, and free online courses – check it out!
Green Infrastructure at GCC
Green Communities Canada has been leading green infrastructure programs for over 15 years. We know that many communities are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. GCC’s green infrastructure programming addresses key risks and builds local resilience to assist cities to adapt and mitigate impacts of changing climate.
We started our RAIN programming in 2010 to encourage green stormwater infrastructure, often known as low impact development. A host of services offered through our RAIN programs supported stormwater innovations aimed at reducing runoff by managing rain where it falls.
In 2012, we launched our Depave Paradise program, which provides training and resources to help guide volunteers and communities remove unneeded pavement and plant gardens rich with native plants.
Starting in 2021, we consolidated our green infrastructure programming into our new Living Cities Canada program. one umbrella program. Living Cities Canada provides a cohesive vision, opportunities, and support for community organizations to strategically engage and advance policy and action-based green infrastructure projects in their communities. Projects funded by the Living Cities Canada Fund include green infrastructure interventions such as depave projects, mini-forests, rain gardens, and more!




Green Infrastructure News
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