City hall reveals citizen-picked winners in $250K neighborhood project program

And the people have spoken. After six days of online, phone and in-person voting, the results are in for this year’s Neighborhood Decision-Making program, which will see city hall spend $250,000 on several community projects. Jonathan Juha has details on the winners.

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WHAT IS NEIGHBOURHOOD DECISION-MAKING?

Launched in 2017, the city hall program allows residents to propose and decide on new projects they want to see in their neighborhoods.

Residents of five parts of the city submit ideas for neighborhood improvement projects and then vote for their favorite ones.

The five zones are the northeast, northwest, central, southeast and southwest. Each zone gets a budget of $50,000, with individual projects receiving up to $30,000. In total, the program costs $250,000, money that comes from the city’s annual maintenance support budget.

HOW WAS PARTICIPATION THIS YEAR?

The 2024 program was a record-setter in several categories, even if funding for the program in coming years hasn’t yet been approved by city council.

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A total of 345 ideas and projects were submitted by Londoners and local neighborhood groups, the highest ever.

Projects ranged in scope, from tree planting to outdoor exercise equipment to creating little libraries. After being reviewed by city staff, 99 projects made it onto the final ballot.

According to city figures, Londoners cast 18,464 votes, a 51 per cent increase over last year and a number that continues the growth seen since 2020. City staff also reported an increase in in-person voting, especially among younger Londoners.

“We had an expanded outreach strategy this year where you could vote all week in community centers throughout the city,” said Jennifer Martino, the city’s manager of neighborhood development and support.

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“We also had pop-up voting stations at arenas and with partner organizations such as neighborhood resource centers, and we found that people really enjoy the feeling of casting a ballot in person and we have the privacy screen set up, especially young people.”

THE WINNING PROJECTS

A total of 20 projects were approved across all five zones. New this year, proposals were divided into two categories: Big and small ideas based on the funding requirements.

“The winning projects highlight the diverse ways Londoners engage with their community and connect with their neighbors,” Mayor Josh Morgan said in a statement.

The winners are:

Central London

Big Idea: Natural playground at Academie De La Tamise greenspace at 1260 Dundas St.

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Small Ideas:

• Neighborhood porch concert series
• Mountsfield elementary school will get a gaga ball pit, described by one retailer as a “gentler version of dodge ball”

Northwest London

Big Idea: Natural playground at St. Marguerite D’Youville Catholic elementary school

Small Ideas:

• Volleyball and seating in Oak Park near Oxford Street-Hyde Park Road
• Wall-mounted utility box in northwest London
• “Little library” on Elson Road
• Park bench in Beaverbrook Woods

Northeast London

Big Idea: Picnic tables at Mother Teresa secondary school

Small Ideas:

• Outdoor seating and tree planting at East Carling elementary school
• Soccer goal posts for Cedar Hollow Park on Killarney Road
• Bike-repair station on Stoney Creek Valley trail

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Southwest London

Big Idea: Small play equipment, playground resurfacing with accessible entry at Cleardale public school on Dulaney Drive.

Small Ideas:

• Tree planting in White Oaks Park
• Multicultural free little library on Clarendon Crescent
• Neighborhood art show in Byron
• Bike parking at Boler Road and Byron Baseline Road

Southeast London

Big Idea: Trees, benches and small play equipment at Trafalgar elementary school

Small Ideas:

• Tree planting in CNRA Park on Egerton Street
• Bird-friendly decals at East Lions Community Center

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