As more cities are 'going grey', Kitchener and Guelph seem to be bucking the trend

A Statistics Canada report on urban greenness found that while more cities are "going grey," that wasn't the case for Guelph or Kitchener, Ont., which in recent years actually saw an increase in urban greenness. 

The report compared satellite images from 2001, 2011 and 2019 in large urban centres to track the amount of vegetation its condition as part of Statistics Canada's new ecosystem accounting program.

"It's a way that we can understand the effects that we have on ecosystems, but also the many benefits that they provide to us," said Jennie Wang, one of the authors of the report.

By looking at the same physical space over time, Wang and her team were able to capture some of the changes that reflect urban densification and different factors that influence vegetation health, like droughts or floods, she said.

Guelph and Kitchener we're among a small number of cities that saw an increase of green spaces between 2011 and 2019.

In Guelph, that number went from 80 per cent in 2011 to 86 per cent in 2019. Kitchener meanwhile, went from 76 per cent to 81 per cent.

"Council has over the last couple of years shown a strong commitment trying to keep Kitchener green," Niall Lobley, director of parks and cemeteries for the City of Kitchener told CBC's The Morning Edition.

Lobley points to the city's recent sustainable urban forest strategy that aims to grow the city's forest canopy, as one example. 

In 2015, the city had a forest canopy of around 26 per cent. That grew to 27 per cent in 2019 due to the city's growth of its already-existing mature trees, said the City of Kitchener.

"Really, it's a commitment to keeping things as green as we possibly can while still allowing the city to grow, change and develop," Lobley said. 

Urban greenness good for our health and ecosystem

Lobley said urban green spaces play a key role in health and wellbeing.

"It helps us feel better, there's been so many studies done that a few minutes in green spaces really does help people calm down," he said.

"The same can be said for hospital recovery. If you're in a hospital bed and you're looking out a grey jungle, you're recovery rates are slower than somebody who is looking out over a green space."

The need for urban green spaces was highlighted during the pandemic as they became some of only places to safely host activities.  

Urban green spaces also play a key a role in a city's ecosystem, by mitigating floods, Lobley said, and keeping the city cool during hot summer days.

Those benefits are what Wang and her team will keep an eye on as they continue their work.

"Urban greenness is one metric for urban areas and they are an important ecosystem to understand because they are the place where people live," she said.

Meanwhile, the City of Kitchener is currently looking for community input on how it can grow and make its parks and green spaces even better through the Engage Kitchener website.