London, Ont. ranks highly on environmental scorecard: Report
When it comes to environmentally friendly living conditions among Canada’s largest cities, the Forest City is paving the way, according to a new report.
A new report published in the journal Environmental International examined 30 cities across Canada with a population of more than 100,000 people. It analyzed environmental factors such as air quality, noise pollution, water quality, risk of natural disasters and access to green space.
From these factors, it then calculated an overall score.
“London has the highest overall scores out of any of the cities,” said Daniel Rainham, the senior author of the study.
The study compared each of the 30 cities inclusively, and weighed each of the environmental factors to calculate the final rating. The goal is to provide communities with an overall view of where they’re succeeding and where they need improvement.
“The idea is to look within the city and to look at your city overall and say, ‘Do we have a lot of inequity in terms of access to health environmental conditions?’ And, ‘Where are the places that we can improve?’” said Rainham.
A map of the City of London that ranks its environmentally friendly living conditions based on a multitude of factors. On a ranking of 30 cities across Canada, London, Ont. ranked first when it came to environmental equity. (Source: Environment International)
London ranked the highest with a median score of 70, while nearby Kitchener and Guelph also scored well.
On the flip side however, several of Canada’s largest cities fared poorly. For example, Alberta’s urban centers of Edmonton and Calgary ranked at the bottom.
Rainham said London’s balance helps it score well.
“Across the board, all the neighbourhoods within the city will have fairly high scores. So it’s not a large range across all of the neighbourhoods, and that bodes well in terms of good environmental conditions,” he explained.
Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis said having this data can help better inform future environmental decisions going forward.
“When I looked at the map in the study, you can almost see where some of our major parks overlap in some of the areas with the best results,” he said.
He added, “We recognize the value – not so much in comparing ourselves to other municipalities because I think that we don’t want to get into a competition. But we want to look at how we as a community, how we as a regional leader, and how we as an urban centre can contribute to keeping Ontario’s environment clean and healthy.”
As Canada’s population becomes increasingly urbanized, Rainham said data such as the report can help those communities think critically about city design and planning, and better identifying neighbourhoods that need improvement.
— With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
The Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for the life of the country's prime minister, who was shot multiple times after a political event Wednesday afternoon.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.