[2][3][4] The division is led by a general manager, presently Janie Romoff, and is organizationally part of the city's Community and Social Services cluster.

In 1884, an administrative group named the Committee on Public Walks and Gardens was officially created to oversee the city's parks and green space.

Before then, the city as a whole was responsible for them (namely then a large reserve public space south of Front Street from Yonge to Spadina) since the incorporation of Toronto in 1834.

In the early twentieth century, the social conditions of the city changed dramatically, and supervised recreational activities became a subject of interest.

[4][12] PFR operates several Olympic sized swimming pools, including the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, and the Etobicoke Olympium.

[16] The division releases a semi-annual booklet called the FUN Guide, providing information on programs and services available for people of all ages.

The booklet is organized by topics such as: Adapted/Integrated Services, Preschool, Registration, Arts, Camps, Fitness and Wellness, Jobs, Leadership, Older Adults, Permits, Skating, Ski & Snowboarding, Sports, Swimming, Youth, and Volunteers.

[17] Other recreational activities and services provided by the division are: camping facilities, community centres, cycling, discovery walks, golfing, and tennis.

PFR is divided into: Formerly, the division organized the city into five districts: North, South, East, West and Central Services and Waterfront.

Each of these subdivisions had a manager in charge of the operation of recreational programming, facilities and parks; a Technical Services and Urban Forestry Section responsible for the delivery of forestry services, facilities and park maintenance, and janitorial support; and an Operations Support Co-ordinator in charge of overseeing the cohesiveness of their subdivision with others as well as the community.