15 distinct Edmonton districts outlined in continuing city plan-streamlining efforts

Draft plans for distinct districts — the latest work on the 15-minute city vision Edmonton planners have been developing over the last three years — will be presented to the urban planning committee next week.

The roadmap of sorts to guide city expansion while its population grows outlines schemes for 15 different districts.

City planners have been consolidating old neighbourhood and city plans, picking out the parts that are still relevant to Edmonton's density, climate and transportation goals, some of which date back to the 1980s.

The plans provide a detailed look at amenities and housing that already exist in each district. They also show streets and intersections the city believes are best suited for redevelopment.

"A lot of the old plans are not well aligned with the city plan, which can make the planning system contradictory and confusing. This is why district planning is going to look to replace many of those outdated plans with these new district plans," Sean Bohle, a senior planner on the project, said Thursday during a media briefing.

"All this will contribute to streamlining the city's land development approval processes. An efficient permitting licensing and regulatory process helps reduce barriers and encourages investment in our city, which is a key goal of both the city plan and Edmonton Economic Action Plan."

The 15 district plans are meant as a reference for city council, staff and developers to help guide development decisions over time.

"I think the most important thing to remember is that that change in our community happens at a parcel-by-parcel basis," said Anne Stevenson, city councillor for Ward O-day'min and a member of the committee.

"The city can't compel people to redevelop if you own a piece of property ... I think it's about pointing out what opportunities there are, highlighting what change may look like but recognizing that that change is going to come in a very piecemeal and incremental way that might not be linear, it may be in a different pattern than we assumed or guessed."

The city will stage the final public engagement sessions Thursday night and on Saturday. Residents can take an online survey until Sunday.

Once planners present draft plans to the Urban Planning Committee on Tuesday, they will take councillor feedback, mesh it with public input and present plans in a May public hearing.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson