SNAP’s Socio-Economics Metrics Project

GPA led the Socio-Economic Metrics Project, which aims to better demonstrate and evaluate the social, cultural and economic benefits of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP) Program by looking beyond environmental targets to understanding how changes in the environment, the local economy and the social realm are interrelated. By working with two SNAP pilot neighbourhoods, Black Creek in Toronto and County Court in Brampton, we developed a concise list of indicators to measure the Program’s overall impact. The project resulted in a clear and accessible report including a set of indicators and recommended refinements to the in-place Sustainability Framework. This aim is to enable TRCA and program partners to better capture the socio-economic impacts and monitor change in SNAP communities. In addition, the project helps TRCA to communicate the successes of the program to an unfamiliar audience.