Culture, People, and Places - Celebrating the Intersection of Community

Building Strong Roots: Empowering the African Diasporic Community to Thrive through Black Urbanism in Toronto.

Black Urbanism TO (BUTO) is a not-for-profit organization engaging with black communities, businesses, and spaces in Toronto. Buto seeks to protect, preserve and promote historically black ecosystems through cultural, economic, and social development.

Mission

Black Urbanism TO aims to increase the participation of Black people in community development to advance the collective cultural, economic and social interests in the neighbourhoods we call home.

Vision

Black Urbanism TO is a vessel to amplify the soul of Black communities.

Building a stronger Toronto through community engagement, restoration, and cultural preservation - Join BUTO today.

BUTO's Ideologies, Beliefs, and Principles: Guiding Empowerment of Black Communities through Urbanism and Cultural Preservation.

BUTO’s ideologies, beliefs, and principles center around the core values of community empowerment, cultural preservation, and social justice, emphasizing the importance of trust, respect, integrity, partnership, and agency to achieve liberation and unity for Black communities through the power of urbanism.

Our Story

BUTO: Empowering Black Communities through Urbanism and Social Equity.

Black Urbanism Toronto (BUTO) was established in 2018 with a mission to enhance the involvement of Black individuals in community development and further the cultural, economic, and social interests of Black communities in Toronto. The organization was created in response to the negative impacts faced by the once thriving Little Jamaica neighborhood in Eglinton West as a result of the Crosstown LRT construction. The disruptions caused by the construction led to the displacement of residents and businesses, and a significant decline in the local ecosystem.

Since its founding, BUTO has been dedicated to promoting and advancing Black urbanism in Toronto, with a focus on empowering and supporting Black communities in the city. Through advocacy, education, and action, BUTO is working to address the systemic barriers that prevent Black individuals from participating fully in community development and to promote equitable and inclusive urban growth in Toronto.