Leagues will play a key role to ensure the City Plan draws on local knowledge and builds participation into our planning process.

Read more to find out how we can work with this council and city administration to provide all Edmontonians an opportunity to share their vision for our city.

What We’re Reading – The Participation Issue

Citizens in Ward Karhiio and Ward Nakota Isga will be invited to take part in Edmonton’s first Participatory Budgeting process. Learn more about what this means.

Participatory budgeting is an experiment in grassroots democracy that gives citizens partial control of where their taxpayer dollars are allocated. Here’s an inside look at the process at work.

Town meetings take place in high-school gyms or town halls and anyone can come. It’s a moment when everyone can talk out the issues facing the area and decide how they want to spend their money.

THE FRONT PAGE

Acting on City Plan – District Planning and the Zoning Bylaw Renewal

What you need to know
On April 12, both the Zoning Bylaw Renewal and District Planning received support to move forward. While the EFCL will continue to work with leagues, City administration and council and to refine the direction of these projects, here’s what you need to know.

With a green light from council, administration will begin preparing District Plans and the District General Policy. This means engaging with Leagues to create a set of plans that build out a vision for 15-minute neighbourhoods and develop the details of our City Plan policy.

District Planning will use existing plans and policy to stitch together and fill in gaps that align our development with City Plan Outcomes and our goals of becoming a more sustainable, affordable and liveable city.

Leagues and the EFCL have already begun participating through online and in-person events. We have been in communication with Administration as they plan engagement which will take place from June 2022 to the end of the project in late 2023.

Photo from edmonton.ca/city_government/urban_planning_and_design/district-planning

Image from twitter.com/edmontonclerk

We have heard from Leagues that being involved in this process is important to residents. We also understand that every league is unique. Whether it’s your league’s volunteer capacity, perspective or priorities, we understand that engaging with you directly is crucial.

On April 12 the EFCL spoke to the city council’s Urban Planning Committee about how Leagues wish to engage and participate in this process of redefining how we build a city for 1.25 million.

Our focus was on ensuring League participation, League leadership and meaningful engagement. We want to ensure our future plans draw upon neighbourhood visions, local knowledge and build the capacity of Leagues to engage their members and all residents.

We are committed to working with this council and city administration to implement the engagement plan endorsed by council and provide all Edmontonians an opportunity to share their vision for our city.

As Engagement begins on these transformative projects, we will provide consistent updates and work to get leagues the information they need.

Many Leagues are connecting within their districts to discuss opportunities for collaboration, discover shared visions and to establish communication. We look forward to working with you and supporting you as you engage, discuss and shape these plans over the coming year.

Contact our Community Planning Advisor

District Maps

Image from https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/assets/PDF/CityPlan_PlanningDistrictsMap.pdf?cb=1651694129

THE MONTHLY BRIEF

Discover more of what matters to you. The Monthly Brief provides you opportunities to get involved, stay connected and learn what is going on in Leagues, the EFCL and city-wide.

Item 1. NGCL Climate Lab

We are excited to share the work of leagues and connect together the network of incredible volunteers and residents doing impactful work together.

Over the past four months, the North Glenora Community League in partnership with a team of graduate students from the University of Alberta engaged their neighbourhood in a climate action lab.

This lab was more than a single action, it was a process of developing and sharing knowledge about the assets of the community, engaging residents and defining a vision for sustainable, healthy and vibrant North Glenora.

Find out more about the project and how leagues across Edmonton can use this model to engage their own league in a process of citizen led planning and Climate Action.

Item 2. Development in your Neighbourhood

As Edmonton steadily moves towards a projected population of two million residents, how can leagues involve and engage both residents and developers to become healthy, vibrant and climate resilient communities.

Leagues across Edmonton are already engaging with a variety of partners from private developers to homeowners and not for profits to bring resident voices into the decision making process and establish a vision for development in their neighbourhoods.

We want to support you as you take on the exciting work of collaboration and provide you the tools, resources and connections to help you succeed.

Here are a few great resources:

Item 3. Resource Highlights

For anyone involved with their league, you know that there is often more to engage with then time to do it.

We want to share some tried and true resources to cut through the noise and provide you with the information that you need to understand what is happening at the city, in your neighbourhood and in your district.

While we hope you subscribe to our Living Local Newsletter and read The Commons monthly, here are a few of our favorite sources for clear, concise and well-researched information to help you in your civics role.

Item 4. City Updates

A round up of what you need to know.

Photo from photos.edmonton.ca