Torontonians identify priorities, concerns in new city survey

The Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square is shown at city hall in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Buhler

A new public opinion survey has found that 40 per cent of Torontonians don’t feel safe, while half reported that the quality of life in the city has worsened over the last year.

Commissioned by the City of Toronto and conducted by Ipsos between Aug. 28 to Sept. 18, City Manager Paul Johnson said the “Listening to Toronto” survey serves as an “attempt to build further data about how Torontonians are feeling about their city and how they’re feeling about the services that we provide.”

He added that the online survey, which included a representative sample of 1,142 residents aged 18 or older, found there are many things for the City of Toronto to be pleased about, but that there is lot of room to “continue to respond to the needs of Torontonians and improve those services that we provide.”

These concerns, Johnson said, will be taken into consideration as the city delivers and develops new service offerings.

Housing, notably its cost, affordability, and the need for more assisted housing options, topped the list of the most important local issue in need of attention.

Transportation, such as traffic, congestion, increased community times, and public transportation, came in second.

These two issues were identified as top concerns that the city should prioritize in the 2025 budget.

Crime and poverty/homelessness were found to be the third and fourth most important issues in the city in need of attention from leaders, however crime and infrastructure were deemed the third and fourth most important budget priorities.

Those surveyed also overwhelmingly called for a reduction in the cost of living, followed by making it easier to get around the city and more investment in city programs as well as infrastructure, like public washrooms, playgrounds, parks, community centres and childcare.

Johnson, who gave a brief overview of the survey’s findings during Monday’s Service Excellent Committee, noted its top-identified issues align closely with the city’s strategic priorities.

He added that while the survey’s respondents expressed satisfaction with the interactions they have with the city and its programs, there is work to be done when it comes to improving infrastructure like parks and recreation centres, cleanliness, and overall amenities within those services.

People also want to see transportation improved so they “can get around this city in a timely way and in the way that makes most sense for them,” Johnson added.

Overall, the report found almost 60 per cent of Torontonians are satisfied with the city’s streets and transportation system, with 80 per cent being satisfied with parks or outdoor spaces. However, only 52 per cent of respondents were satisfied with washrooms in parks.

Among those surveyed who have used the city’s recreation programs or services, 90 per cent said they are satisfied with their experience.

Satisfaction is also high among those who have used social services, with 81 per cent approving of their experience and 84 per cent being satisfied with quality of service. Seventy-five per cent of respondents were also highly satisfied with their most recent interaction with the city, while just under 60 per cent said they were either very or somewhat satisfied with the overall quality of general information and communication from the city.

In terms of cleanliness, close to six in 10 expressed they were satisfied, with 16 per cent saying they’re “very satisfied.”

The findings of this survey will be merged with other data collected by the city, Johnson said, which will subsequently be used to make informed decisions about municipal services, including the quality of life and satisfaction with the city, social and community services, public safety, cleanliness, and the focus of the 2025 budget. The survey’s findings will also be used to better understand changing trends and needs of Torontonians.