As Ontario faces growing pressure from population growth, development and climate change, new research from York University shows the province’s Greenbelt plays a significant role in sustaining the natural systems that support communities, agriculture and economic activity.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change Professor Eric Miller as well as lead author and PhD student Peri Dworatzek have published a report titled The Ecological Value of Ontario’s Greenbelt which examines the protected natural and agricultural lands through the lens of biocapacity – the ability of land and ecosystems to provide resources and absorb environmental impacts.
Prepared by the York University Ecological Footprint Initiative for the Greenbelt Foundation, the report finds the Greenbelt provides significantly greater ecological biocapacity per hectare than the rest of Ontario, averaging 2.8 global hectares versus 1.02.
This, say the authors who worked with MES students Bumika Srikanthalingam and Kaitlin Pal, demonstrates the value of maintaining and strengthening protections for the region’s agricultural and natural landscapes.
The findings provide new evidence for policymakers and planners as they consider how future growth and infrastructure projects may affect the province’s environmental assets. The analysis indicates that increasing demand for land, food and fresh water could place additional strain on these systems if development is not carefully managed.
Miller and and Dworatzek identified several actions that could help safeguard and enhance the Greenbelt’s ecological capacity. These include improving the collection and use of land-use data; expanding mapping of agricultural, water and natural heritage systems; and making geospatial information more accessible to support planning decisions.
“Land cover and biocapacity data provide valuable tools for informing decisions that can help maintain protections for the Greenbelt and the ecosystems that support Ontario’s growing population,” says Miller. “Measuring biocapacity helps governments track progress towards sustainability and other environmental goals.”
The findings also emphasize the importance of restoring natural areas, supporting regenerative agricultural practices and improving soil health to strengthen long-term productivity. Researchers recommend integrating ecological capacity measures into municipal planning and natural asset management strategies.
Produced as part of the Greenbelt Foundation’s Visioning the Future of the Greenbelt series, the report positions the Greenbelt as a key component of Ontario’s response to environmental and resource challenges, Miller notes.
“The Greenbelt’s natural infrastructure provides significant value to Ontario. By quantifying those benefits, we can better inform planning and policy decisions that affect the region’s long-term sustainability,” says Miller. “This research demonstrates the measurable benefits natural systems provide to Ontario’s communities and economy, and offers a framework to support evidence-based planning.”