Green Streets are roads that include green infrastructure – natural and human-made – that capture rainwater and direct it to plants and trees, acting as a natural filter that cleans the water before it makes its way into local waterways. It is a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing the impact of wet weather events and provides social, economic and environmental benefits.

Green Streets are being introduced throughout Toronto, replacing ‘traditional streets’ that were designed to quickly direct stormwater into storm sewer systems (e.g., gutters, drains or pipes) that discharge directly into our waterways, often taking contaminants (e.g., dirt, oil, grease) with it.

The environmental benefits of Green Streets include:

  • enhancing the extent and longevity of the urban forest by improving conditions for urban tree growth
  • mitigating urban heat island effect
  • managing stormwater runoff to
    • enhance water quality
    • provide retention to reduce erosion in receiving water bodies
    • improve the city’s resilience to extreme storms
  • promoting infiltration to sustain shallow groundwater systems
  • enhancing air quality
  • providing opportunities to enhance biodiversity

Projects

Learn about projects that are underway and recently completed.

Maintenance

Find out how green infrastructure is maintained and how you can get involved.

Infrastructure Resources

Review the guidance, standards and selection tools for constructing green infrastructure.