April 17, 2024
The City of Edmonton released the final draft
District Policy and all 15 district plans, providing Edmontonians with time to review them before they go to Public Hearing at City Council on May 28 - 30, 2024.
The District Policy and plans represent a significant milestone in streamlining and modernizing our planning framework, an important part of moving Edmonton towards
The City Plan vision of a healthy, urban, climate-resilient city where everyone can easily access amenities and services close to home.
The Policy and plans were developed through a combination of reviewing existing plans, policies, guidelines and
incorporating feedback from Edmontonians and stakeholders. This process involved carefully reviewing and analyzing existing geographic plans and guidelines to determine if they should be
kept, changed, or retired so they can be replaced by, or incorporated into, the new tool of district plans.
Information Sessions
Edmontonians can
sign up for one of three virtual public information sessions on April 22, 23 and 24. Session participants will learn more about District Planning, the changes made to the draft Policy and plans since public engagement in late 2023, and how to participate in the upcoming public hearing. Comments received at the sessions will not directly impact changes to the Policy and plans at this stage of the project, but will be relayed to Council at the upcoming public hearing for their awareness and consideration.
Why District Planning?
District Planning guides where development is encouraged and shows where infrastructure and service improvements, such as roadways, parks and transit, are needed to support that development. It gives Edmontonians a clearer picture of how they can expect their communities to grow and change over time, encouraging development in the redeveloping areas of the city (roughly inside the Anthony Henday) and directing larger buildings to
nodes and corridors. This, in turn, allows new residents to make use of existing infrastructure, helping to reduce infrastructure costs and save taxpayers money.
A modern, streamlined planning framework also facilitates a more efficient development review process by reducing conflicts between The City Plan and local plans that the City must review in order to evaluate development proposals, such as rezonings, subdivisions and development permits. This helps reduce barriers to building new homes and encourages business investment in our city, which is a key goal of The City Plan and
Edmonton’s Economic Action Plan.
Public Hearing and Next Steps
City Council will consider the proposed District Policy and 15 district plans, as well as the existing geographic plans proposed to be retired or changed, at a statutory City Council Public Hearing scheduled for May 28-30. Once the agenda for the public hearing is released on May 1 more information on how to participate and register to speak will be provided to Edmontonians.
