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What is this project about?
Laneway coLabs brings neighbours together to reimagine and transform an overlooked laneway into a welcoming, creative, and socially connected community space. Over a five-month co-design journey, residents, local partners, and artists work alongside The Laneway Project to move from a shared vision to a built, beautiful laneway—featuring community-created murals, native pollinator plantings, playful wayfinding, and small gathering spots that reflect local identity.
Goals
*Build stronger, more connected communities by helping neighbours collaborate on a shared project.
*Create safe, attractive public spaces that people are proud to use and care for.
*Support resident leadership and long-term stewardship so the laneway stays lively and well-maintained.
Timeline & Process
*Listen & Learn (Month 1): Walk the laneway with neighbours; map issues and opportunities; gather stories and priorities.
*Co-Design (Months 2–3): Facilitate workshops to test ideas, select greening and public-art concepts, and confirm roles, permissions, and maintenance plans.
*Build (Months 4–5): Install murals and plantings, add small amenities such as seating edges and signage, and host a community paint/plant day.
*Celebrate & Steward: Hold a public celebration and launch a neighbourhood stewardship group to maintain the space.
Proven Impact: Our 2025 coLabs projects demonstrated measurable community change. Post-program surveys at our 2025 sites showed:
40 % increase in residents reporting they use the laneway regularly.
35 % increase in the perception of safety and comfort.
50 % increase in social connections among neighbours.
88 % of participants said they feel more proud of their neighbourhood as a result of the project.
2025 Participant Voices: “I met more neighbours in three months of coLabs than in the past three years.” “Now when I walk down the laneway, it feels like ours—not a forgotten back alley.”
Why is this project important to the community?
Laneways are among Toronto’s most overlooked public assets. Many are unsafe, underused, or neglected—yet they connect hundreds of homes and can become powerful community gathering spaces. The demand for revitalization is clear: in the first year of Laneway coLabs, we received over 30 applications from neighbourhood groups across the city, a strong signal that residents are eager to reclaim and reimagine these shared spaces.
People want to connect with their neighbours, but they also want more public spaces close to home. CoLabs bridges both needs—helping residents work together to transform the overlooked spaces right behind their houses into beautiful, safe, and welcoming extensions of their community.
“Our laneway could be so much more—it’s where we bump into each other, where our kids play, and where we already share space without realizing it. CoLabs gives us a way to turn that into something intentional, something that brings us together.”
— 2025 coLabs applicant
By turning underused infrastructure into community assets, Laneway coLabs helps neighbours build relationships, pride, and long-term stewardship—laying the foundation for stronger, more connected, and more resilient communities across Toronto.
Target Completion Date
December 31, 2026
Location
TBD (site selection will occur through the open coLabs 2026 application process, currently underway across Toronto)
Toronto
UNKNOWN