When I envision an Edmonton for everyone, I picture a city whose form makes the lives of people living in it easier. I picture neighbourhoods designed to reduce energy consumption for all, and I think of vibrant communities with active streets and citizens.
Over the past year and a half, some Edmontonians have changed the way they work, and where they work. As this shift becomes more permanent, we know more people will spend more of their time in their own neighbourhoods instead of commuting across the city. We need to create a city that supports this, and provides local amenities important for both business and leisure. That is why I support the city’s planning goal of creating 15-minute districts, “small towns in our big cities,” which will allow all of us to live locally, accessing shopping and amenities within 15 minutes.
The 15-minute city is about quality of life:
Here are some actions that we can take to bring the 15-minute communities concept to life:
With the upcoming review of the zoning bylaw and area redevelopment plans I will work with council to ensure these plans support living local, and clean energy-fueled transportation options, including transit.
I will explore creative rezoning and opportunities for business. This can be an opportunity to introduce more neighbourhood-scale businesses that save citizens time through their proximity, and also contribute to the vibrancy of neighbourhoods. Re-zoning also needs to acknowledge the popularity of hybrid workplaces resulting from people choosing to work from home part-time, and reduce barriers.
We need to work with communities and, at a district level, identify gaps in the multi-use trail network that limit transportation choices. This could mean widening sidewalks or multi-use trails that encourage walking, or sustainable infrastructure in communities where they make sense. Addressing gaps and barriers will be essential for encouraging all modes of transportation at a local level.
Creating commercial development opportunities throughout the city as part of redevelopment will be one of my priorities as mayor. We must also ensure the new Business Advocate Office supports neighbourhood business growth.
Edmonton has active, vital community leagues that can function as hubs for 15-minute communities. Community leagues are ideal partners to help identify locations for temporary business spaces such as weekly or bi-weekly markets, that can address food deserts within the city.
If I’m elected mayor, I will work with council and city administration to identify three existing communities, each built in a different era, to work with immediately as prototypes of how an already-built community can transform into a 15-minute one. This aligns with the low-carbon districts strategy identified in the Energy Transition Plan.
We’ve seen how neighbourhood-level business hubs like Oliver Exchange, Gibbard Block and Ritchie Market can transform an area. Now it’s time to show how we can scale this city-wide.
