Success Stories
A Toronto Success Story
Evergreen Brick Works – Social Innovation in Action
Just three years ago, Toronto’s Don Valley at Pottery Road was best known for an eyesore: a 12-acre industrial lot, home to 13 abandoned and decaying buildings and a chimney stack left over from a long defunct brick works.
Today, the site has been reborn as the Evergreen Brick Works, an international showcase for urban sustainability and green design – and one of the world’s top 10 geotourism destinations, according to National Geographic. It is also one of the 100 featured projects in the World Economic Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative, and was selected as the headquarters of World Environment Day 2011 in North America by the United Nations Environment Programme.
It has been a remarkable transformation. How did it happen?
The story starts in 1991, when Geoff Cape, Kevin McLaughlin and Lindsay Taylor co-founded Evergreen, a charity with the goal of making our cities more livable by empowering Canadians to take a hands-on approach to their urban environments.
For many years, Evergreen’s work focused on wildflower and tree plantings. The not-for-profit organization has helped fund more than 3,000 schoolyard and 2,000 community greening projects across the country.
But starting in 2009, Evergreen expanded its focus to include the former Don Valley Brick Works, and began the work of transforming the deteriorating heritage buildings into the global attraction that they are today.
The site is now home to the Centre for Green Cities, a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum building where innovators, educators and leaders in social and environmental thought come together to bring about positive change.
The reinvigorated Evergreen Brick Works attracts an estimated 400,000 visitors each year. They come for a broad and growing suite of activities, including farmers’, gardeners’ and antique markets, bike repairs, ice skating, yoga, crafts, art exhibitions and environmental education – and an expanding calendar of special events.
“Evergreen Brick Works is unique in the world,” says Cape, Evergreen’s executive director. “It’s changing the way people think about cities and how we live in them.”
What’s more, Cape and Evergreen have only just begun. Next up is the five-year, $15-million Sustainable Cities Innovation Network, which includes a $4.75 million investment by the province of Ontario.
Through this initiative, Evergreen will test, demonstrate and advance new technologies in the fields of energy, transportation, green building design, food production and access, and water and waste management. The first major event, the 2012 Transportation EXPO, will run from summer to fall 2012 and focus on sustainable transportation for the 21st century.
The Sustainable Cities Innovation Network will also stimulate knowledge sharing through forums, conferences, workshops, ‘living’ labs and the Innovation in Sustainability Awards.
“Tremendous innovation and creativity is at work in Ontario, fostered and encouraged by
progressive legislation and supportive programs,” says Cape. “Ontario’s green economy innovators need a place to demonstrate and publicize their work, share ideas and plot the path forward.”
The Evergreen Brick Works is ideally positioned for this role.
See also:
- News Release: Building A Clean Economy And Communities
- Photo Gallery
