Over the years, Green Venture has worked with partners such as Green Communities Canada, the City of Hamilton, Ward 2 and 3 offices, FedDev Ontario, and more to replace pavement with native species and permeable surfaces. This process is commonly referred to as “Depaving”.
Green Venture Depave Stats
Since our depaving projects started in 2012, Green Venture has transformed 12+ spaces and planted hundreds of native species.
Why do we “Depave”
Hard surfaces, such as driveways, parking lots, and buildings, interrupt the natural water cycle by preventing rain water from soaking into the ground. This in turn leads to flooding, poor water quality, and creates urban heat islands that are warming up our cities. By removing pavement and replacing it with green space, we are increasing the infiltration rate of rainwater, cooling our neighbourhoods, keeping our water clean by filtering polluted runoff, increasing natural habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies, and providing us and our children with greater connections to the natural world.
Green Venture transforms spaces
Through partnerships with local schools, organizations, and community groups, Green Venture removes asphalt and concrete to renew and beautify community spaces by adding natural playgrounds, community vegetable gardens, trees, rain gardens, permeable pavers, and other permeable surfaces. In addition to building a strong sense of community, this program also increases usable public space and frequently improves a community’s water quality.
We are looking for more sites to Depave!
Tell us what you where you want green space!
Seeing too much pavement in your community? Tell us where! We depave everything from city property, school playgrounds, old parking lots, to business fronts & more! As long as it’s pavement where people will appreciate more greenspace. We want to make your wishful thinking a reality! So get excited and be sure to send us an email at [email protected] with any and all potential sites!
What makes an ideal depave site?
- Located on public land or publicly accessible land
- In a highly visible location to maximize the impact on the community
- Is an asphalt or concrete space that is deteriorating in quality, largely underutilized, and/or prone to chronic flooding/puddling
- Has access to a water source for ongoing maintenance and stewardship
- Is protected from traffic (sidewalk or boulevard buffer from street)
- Has a minimum of 100m squared of space to be transformed
- Feasible to create a long term plan for the maintenance of your new garden
Here are two potential depave sites. Check them out to see what we’ve highlighted as things we look for in sites before we can approve them.
What about funding?
We endeavour to make the process of adding green space to your property as easy as possible. Green Venture aims to secure funding and support through various environmental grants, landscape architects and contractors.
