The Laneway Project
The Laneway Project is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2014 that revitalizes the city's laneway network through community-led co-design programs, partnering with neighbourhood residents, artists, BIAs, and municipal stakeholders to transform neglected laneways into vibrant public spaces.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Laneway Project does
The Laneway Project is a Toronto-based non-profit organization founded in 2014 by Michelle Senayah and Ariana Holt to transform the city's extensive laneway network into vibrant, resilient public spaces. The organization operates an open-application flagship program called Laneway coLabs, in which neighbourhood residents work with artists and facilitators through a structured co-design process to produce murals, greenery, lighting, and small-scale interventions. Time-bound projects are designed to transition to community-led stewardship after installation.
The organization's underlying technology is a community-led co-design methodology rather than a software platform; its supporting digital assets include an interactive Toronto Laneway Map, toolkits and guides, and an advocacy and research function. It also operates the Light Up the Laneways demonstration project (launched 2019) and annual activations such as Layers of Rush Lane and Laneway Crawls, and maintains sub-brands including Laneway coLabs 2025 and 2026 and Verner and Drovers Lane. Distribution occurs directly through community applications, volunteer recruitment, and in-person events; services are provided free of charge to participants.
The business model is non-profit and grant-funded. Revenue streams include foundation and corporate grants (notably the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2015 and the TD Ready Commitment from June 2022 to October 2023), individual and corporate donations accepted via the website, municipal Section 37 community benefit funding tied to nearby development, and in-kind support from BIAs, the City of Toronto, and private builders. The organization is governed by an independent board, led since April 2024 by Executive Director Danielle Goldfinger, and reports no equity investors or parent entity. Headcount is 1-10 employees and operations are entirely Toronto-based.
The Laneway Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Laneway Project
- Legal name
- The Laneway Project
- Website
- https://thelanewayproject.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Laneway Project is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2014 that revitalizes the city's laneway network through community-led co-design programs, partnering with neighbourhood residents, artists, BIAs, and municipal stakeholders to transform neglected laneways into vibrant public spaces.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Laneway Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Placemaking Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Landscaping Services (56173)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)
Keywords
Where The Laneway Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Laneway Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation and Corporate Grants: The Laneway Project is a non-profit that relies heavily on grant funding from foundations and corporate social responsibility programs. Notable funders include the TD Ready Commitment Project grant (June 2022 to Oct 2023), which funded multiple laneway projects including Cosmos Nature Lane, Main and Danforth, and Regal Heights.
- Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations through its website, listed under the 'Get Involved' section as a primary engagement pathway.
- Government Grants: Funding from government sources including the Ontario Trillium Foundation for early pilot projects such as Reggae Lane and CCBG Lane.
- Section 37 Community Benefit Funding: Projects like Luttrell Loop Lane were supported by Section 37 funding from nearby condo developments, setting a precedent for using community benefit funds for laneway revitalization.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
The Laneway Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Laneway Project is a Toronto non-profit that transforms underused urban laneways into vibrant, resilient public spaces through community partnerships, a structured co-design process, and data-led advocacy. Its flagship Laneway coLabs program runs an open application process through which neighbourhood groups partner with the organization, working alongside artists and facilitators to deliver murals, greenery, lighting, and small-scale physical interventions on Toronto laneways. All programming is provided free of charge to community participants and is funded through grants and donations.
Product overview
The Laneway Project is a Toronto-based nonprofit organization operating since 2014 that transforms the city's extensive network of laneways into vibrant, resilient public spaces. The organization offers a portfolio of programs centered on community-led revitalization, including its flagship Laneway coLabs initiative (a co-design program partnering with residents to transform laneways through murals, greening, and lighting), the Light Up the Laneways demonstration project, and various advocacy and research initiatives. The organization also provides educational resources including laneway toolkits and guides, and maintains a digital Toronto Laneway Map resource. Programs are delivered through partnerships with local communities, BIAs, artists, and municipal stakeholders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Laneway coLabs: A flagship community-led laneway revitalization program where residents work through a co-design process with artists and facilitators to reimagine and activate their local laneways, creating shared spaces that reflect local needs, stories, and creativity.
- Light Up the Laneways
Products and services
- Laneway coLabs A flagship community-led laneway revitalization program that brings neighbours together to reimagine and activate their local laneways through a collaborative co-design process. Each project works with residents, artists, and facilitators over a defined period to deliver murals, greenery, lighting, and small-scale interventions. Projects are time-bound, community-led, and designed to support long-term stewardship after installation. Available free of charge to Toronto neighbourhood groups through an open application process.
- Light Up the Laneways A multi-phase demonstration project establishing best practices for laneway revitalization in Toronto. Focuses on pedestrian-friendly lighting, street art, urban greening, and furniture to create safe, vibrant, welcoming shared spaces, delivered through partnerships with BIAs, community associations, and the City of Toronto.
- Toronto Laneway Map An interactive digital map tool allowing users to explore transformed laneways across Toronto and add laneways to the network, capturing the breadth of Toronto's 2,400+ public laneway system spanning approximately 250 linear kilometres.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over a dozen laneways transformed since 2014
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Laneway Project
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Laneway Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Laneway Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Harbord Village Residents AssociationcoreCommunity partner for the Croft Street Laneway coLabs 2026 project, working with The Laneway Project on outreach, co-design workshops, and implementation of greening and climate-responsive elements in the laneway.
- Harbord Village GardenerscoreCommunity partner for the Croft Street Laneway coLabs 2026 project, contributing gardening expertise and stewardship to the laneway greening initiative.
- Kseniya TsoyminorMuralist artist engaged for the Croft Street 2026 Laneway coLabs project to create a mural in the revitalized laneway.
- Ossington BIAcoreCollaborated with The Laneway Project on the Light Up the Laneways demonstration project (2019), which installed new planters, murals, and lighting fixtures in the Ossington neighbourhood laneway to create a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly space.
- Bloordale BIAcoreCollaborated with The Laneway Project on the Light Up the Laneways demonstration project (2019), which transformed the Bloordale neighbourhood laneway with pedestrian-friendly lighting, street art, and urban greening.
- Bloordale Community Improvement AssociationcoreCommunity partner for the Light Up the Laneways project in Bloordale, working with The Laneway Project on community visioning and project implementation.
- Ossington Community AssociationcoreCommunity partner for the Light Up the Laneways project in Ossington, collaborating on community engagement and project delivery.
- Queen West BIAcorePartnered with The Laneway Project on the annual Layers of Rush Lane event in Graffiti Alley and other laneway activations. The BIA supported the Tourism Toronto President's Award nomination for Graffiti Alley.
- Evergreen Brick WorksminorDanielle Goldfinger, current Executive Director, previously managed Visitor Experience and Public Programming at Evergreen Brick Works. The organization has participated in Evergreen conferences and shares programming space/philosophy with the organization.
- Porter Airlines (Re:Porter publication)minorThe Laneway Project was spotlighted in Porter Airlines' Re:Porter in-flight publication (May/June 2023), featuring an interview with then-Executive Director Lanrick Bennett Jr. about the pandemic-era renaissance of Toronto's laneways.
- Myseum of TorontominorFeatured in Myseum of Toronto's Ten of Toronto exhibition (2023), which reflects on forces that have shaped the city's neighbourhoods including urban development, culture, and social values.
- K Tsoy (Kseniya Tsoy)minorArtist who created 16 community-supported murals for the Taylor Massey Laneway coLabs 2025 project, shaping the visual identity of the revitalized space.
- Julia PrajzaminorArtist who created 3 community-supported murals for the Riverside Laneway coLabs 2025 project.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Laneway Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 8 80 Cities: Canadian non-profit working to make cities more vibrant, healthy, and equitable through public space, mobility, and civic engagement programming. Comparable as a Toronto-based/Canadian non-profit activating streets and public spaces for community use.
- Project for Public Spaces: US-based non-profit and leading authority on placemaking that helps communities transform public spaces. Comparable as a community-led placemaking organization that promotes co-design, stewardship, and tactical urbanism, mirroring The Laneway Project's coLabs methodology.
- Park People: Canadian non-profit that supports parks and public spaces through grants, programs, and advocacy, with a strong Toronto and GTA presence. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit advancing community-led public space improvement, programming, and stewardship with similar funder and municipal relationships.
- Evergreen Brick Works: Toronto-based national non-profit focused on urban sustainability, public space activation, and community programming on a former industrial site. Directly comparable as a Toronto non-profit turning underused urban space into vibrant community gathering places; current ED Danielle Goldfinger previously worked there.
- Friends of the Pan Am Path: Toronto-based non-profit stewarding an urban trail network that re-imagines underused corridors for walking, cycling, and gathering. Directly comparable as a Toronto non-profit activating forgotten urban corridors for public use; The Laneway Project's board member James Meers also serves as its ED.
- Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT): Toronto-based charity that builds healthier, more equitable communities through walking, cycling, and complete streets advocacy. Comparable as a Toronto non-profit advocating for underused rights-of-way (including laneways) as safer, greener active transportation corridors.
- Jane's Walk: Toronto-born global initiative that runs community-led walking tours to connect people to city-building and local places. Comparable as a Toronto-rooted, community-led urban placemaking movement with city-wide programming and a strong local network.
- Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Trees (LEAF): Toronto-area non-profit focused on urban tree planting, stewardship, and education in private and community spaces. Comparable as a GTA-based non-profit delivering urban greening, community planting, and stewardship programs aligned with The Laneway Project's tree-planting and greening components.
Others
- Gehl: Public space consultancy (formerly Gehl Architects) known for human-scale urban design methodology and people-first public realm work. Comparable as a methodology/peer organization shaping how laneways and small public spaces are designed, though operating as a paid consultancy rather than a non-profit.
Regional players
- The Municipal Art Society of New York: Long-standing New York City non-profit that advocates for thoughtful urban design, public space, and preservation. Comparable as a non-profit advancing community-led revitalization and public realm improvement, but focused on New York rather than Toronto.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Laneway Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Laneway Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Laneway Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Laneway Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Laneway Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Laneway Project
What does The Laneway Project do?
The Laneway Project is a Toronto non-profit that transforms underused urban laneways into vibrant, resilient public spaces through community partnerships, a structured co-design process, and data-led advocacy. Its flagship Laneway coLabs program runs an open application process through which neighbourhood groups partner with the organization, working alongside artists and facilitators to deliver murals, greenery, lighting, and small-scale physical interventions on Toronto laneways. All programming is provided free of charge to community participants and is funded through grants and donations.
Is The Laneway Project a public or private company?
The Laneway Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Laneway Project founded?
The Laneway Project was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Laneway Project based?
The Laneway Project is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Laneway Project make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Corporate Grants are the primary driver. The others are donations, government Grants and section 37 Community Benefit Funding.
Who are The Laneway Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 8 80 Cities, Project for Public Spaces, Park People, Evergreen Brick Works, Friends of the Pan Am Path, Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT), Jane's Walk and Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Trees (LEAF). Gehl is listed as an others. The Municipal Art Society of New York is listed as a regional player.
Does The Laneway Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Laneway Project.
What industry is The Laneway Project in?
The Laneway Project's product category is Urban Placemaking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAL, Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure, with a secondary code of AFAMACAL, Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting. Its NAICS code is 813312.