Unlike old-style backroom deal-making and shallow public consultations, residents are meaningfully engaged in the process of creating a Community Benefits Agreement. This approach earns community support for development projects, diffuses opposition, and builds the reserves of trust, skill and resolve needed to tackle other complex issues. 

I am quite willing to look at (Community Benefits on Municipal Infrastructure Projects). I want to be careful in terms of (adding restrictions) which can drive up cost... But I think it is important. It’s been proven to be done successfully and you can employ local people, whether it’s in places like Regent Park… or at Metrolinx. 

There are people coming together in a brand new way in Toronto through the Toronto Community Benefits Network… (using) the development process to create opportunities and long term benefits for low income individuals and communities…There is 130 Billion dollars of infrastructure coming through the province in the next 10 years, a large part will be in the GTA.