May 6-7, 2026
Cities bursting with life
Together through workshops, tours, panels and hands-on experiences, attendees were able to learn how to build more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous communities through the power of public space.
Our parks, trails, waterfronts and community centres can enable neighbourhoods with dense, affordable housing and green space; community hubs that support climate resilience and bolster local economies; and spaces for children of all abilities to play and political expression to thrive.
We explored how to get there through five main topic areas:
The Evergreen Conference demonstrated that our conferences don’t need to be dull to be serious.
In fact, it showed that we need room to move, play, reflect and converse in order to really learn. Only then can we tackle the hard challenges ahead of us.
51% of sessions were interactive. This included tours, workshops, the PLAYcemaking Warehouse, and networking hours.
87% of attendees reported feeling more inspired & equipped to build better public spaces. And this is everything we wanted.
The conference brought together leading experts in climate resilience, policy and governance, finance and development, community building, health, democracy and more.
At the Brick Works and throughout Toronto, our tour leaders allowed attendees to learn about city-building in situ.
Our innovation expo featured companies and organizations at the cutting-edge of sustainable technology, research and practice.
“One of the most interesting event experiences I’ve had in along time. Playful and professional CAN be in the same sentence.”
“They’ve created a conference that is so playful and dynamic— there’s actually room to breathe and interact. I hope this is what the future looks like.”
“Such a good reminder that good things are possible. I needed a little inspiration this week, and got exactly what I needed.”
“A huge shout out to the Evergreen team for putting together such an engaging and energizing conference!”
This isn’t just another org update — it’s a conversation about the most pressing city-building issues. Subscribe for stories, interviews, events, resources, careers and more.
