The first phase [ENVISION] is focused on gaining a better understanding of the local area and your communities. Gaining a better understanding of everything that makes your community tick (yesterday, today and tomorrow) will help the project team proactively explore ideas with your aspirations, concerns and viewpoints in mind.

PHASE 1 INITIAL ENGAGEMENT - Fall 2019 to Winter 2020

Throughout phase one we:

• Held 20 in-person events and meetings
• Conducted 55 days of online engagement, for the broad public and targeted stakeholders
• Made over 340,000 people aware of the project through our communications program
• Connected with over 7,300 participants online or in-person
• Received over 1,000 ideas and contributions across this phase

To review the What We Heard Report and summary of engagement for this phase, please click here.

You can check out the conversation below or see what the working group was up to here

PHASE 1 VALIDATE ENGAGEMENT - Fall 2021

The first phase, ENVISION, was extended to ensure we are able to circle back and reconnect with local citizens and stakeholders (including the working group, community associations, local residents and business owners) following a pause in the project due to the pandemic. Through this phase of engagement, we’re looking to validate what we’ve heard and the resulting draft content that has been created based on initial engagement that took place from fall 2019 – spring 2020.

Based on input provided to date, an initial draft of Chapter 1 of the local area plan was created. This first chapter of the plan serves as a foundation for the rest of the plan as it outlines the area’s history, the area as it exists today, the Vision for the area and the Core Values that support this vision.

Engagement on the draft content for the first chapter of the plan is underway with local community associations, the Westbrook Communities Working Group, development industry representatives and local landowners. Opportunities for the public to provide input are available from Nov. 22, 2021 to Jan 4, 2022.

PROVIDE YOUR INPUT NOW!

Below is a breakdown of participation throughout the phase one.

AWARE 340,000+

The number of people who were made aware of the project and opportunity to get involved. Tools used to build awareness included: Facebook, Twitter, bold signs and informational displays, mailed postcards, community newsletter ads, and email updates.

INVOLVED 7,000+

The number of people who actively or passively got involved in some way. This includes people who visited the website, attended a pop-up event, subscribed for email updates, attended a working group session, etc.

CONTRIBUTIONS 1,000+

The number of pieces on input received in the first phase of engagement. This includes feedback received online, at pop-up events and through the working group sessions.

ENGAGED 1,400+

The number of unique individual contributors. Includes people who provided input online or in person.

DEMOGRAPHICS

The following is a breakdown of participant demographics from those that responded to the survey.

PARTICIPANTS BY COMMUNITY

PARTICIPANTS BY AGE

PARTICIPANTS RENT VS. OWN

PARTICIPANT LONGEVITY IN THE AREA

Overall, there was a high level of interest in the project, and a wide range of input was received from the community.

The high-level themes that emerged throughout all of the comments received in phase one include:

• Citizens value the area’s proximity to amenities and regional destinations (Bow River, Edworthy Park, Douglas Fir Trail, downtown etc.)
• Citizens value the diverse options of local businesses in the area such as food & beverage establishments, and a variety of shops.
• Citizens value the pathway system and dedicated bike lanes in the area making it easy to connect to parks and downtown.
• Citizens identified that the revitalization of commercial buildings & strip malls would help the overall esthetic of the area and help to attract new businesses to the area.
• Citizens shared concerns over a lack of engagement and inclusion in the decision-making process and a lack of trust for decisions made about their communities
• Citizens cite traffic safety concerns including dangerous intersections, speeding/cutting through communities, and unsafe pedestrian crossings.
• Citizens would like vacant lots and vacant open spaces to be developed in a timely manner in the Westbrook communities.
• Citizens hope for the Westbrook Mall area to be redeveloped/revitalized.
• Citizens hope for complete communities that include a variety of commercial, retail, and cultural opportunities in the area.
• Citizens shared concerns that increased growth and density will bring an increase in crime in the area.
• Citizens shared concerns over the loss of community feel/character as a result of increased densification.

While project work is still underway to develop the draft concepts for the local area plan, all input collected through this phase has been used so far to inform planning analysis by The City and was shared with the Working Group to inform the sessions completed to date.

The Working Group and The City came together to prioritize the themes heard from citizens and this information was used to help develop draft guiding principles for the project. The input collected will continue to be used by the project team to inform work with subject matter experts as they draft concepts and policies.

These draft guiding principles will be used to help evaluate ideas and concepts as the project progresses. These will also help inform our conversations about trade-offs and benefits as options are developed.

These draft Guiding Principles are:

Housing: Provide quality and diverse housing choice to accommodate all socio-economic and demographic needs in proximity to key services and amenities.

Mobility: Provide safe, walk-able, connected and accessible year-round mobility options including enhanced pathways and bike and pedestrian infrastructure throughout the entire plan area.

Gathering Places:

• Activate open spaces and recreation facilities, and provide thoughtful and engaging gathering spaces and community halls.
• Provide universal access to social services and diverse, healthy, and affordable food options.

Community Hubs: Provide thoughtful and engaging social hubs and community gathering places that reflect the diversity of the population in the area by leveraging the potential of underutilized areas and spaces.

Open Spaces: Protect and enhance open spaces, trees, historic and natural resources including the Shaganappi Golf Course, Edworthy Park, and the Douglas Fir Trail as key local and regional destinations.

Businesses: Promote a greater diversity of commercial and service options while supporting local businesses in the area.

Community Identity: Achieve a strong sense of community identity by building upon the unique characteristics of individual communities and fostering collaboration that highlights the culture and history of the area.

Transit Stations: Promote densification and contextually appropriate Transit Oriented Development principles around community transit stations so that they may evolve over time

Westbrook Station: Support the evolution of Westbrook station area as a safe and vibrant transit hub and destination.

The feedback collected in phase one will also help:

• Determine a vision for the area;
• Improve understanding of community priorities and concerns;
• Inform draft urban form and building scale maps; and
• Inform draft development policies for the local area plan.

The project team is currently undertaking planning analysis and working with subject matter experts to develop draft concepts and policies for the draft local area plan. Your input, and the input of other citizens and stakeholders, will help the project team understand people’s perspectives, opinions, and concerns as they conduct this work.

Public input is an important part of local area planning, but is one of many areas of consideration in the decision-making process. Other considerations include looking at: economic viability, technical feasibility, and other existing City policies.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be some impacts to the Westbrook Communities project timeline and the timing of phase two is slated for Spring/Summer 2021. Project timelines will be adjusted as required to ensure meaningful public engagement can take place in connection with the project. Any online and/or in-person public engagement opportunities scheduled in the future will be shared as soon as they are confirmed. In phase two, we will share the draft concepts and report back on what we heard in phase one and how input has influenced decisions or if decisions were not influenced by public input, we will explain why.

Phase two will include multiple engagement opportunities for the public to get involved, learn about the draft plan and provide input to evaluate the concepts in the draft local area plan for the Westbrook Communities.

To stay up-to-date on the project and future engagement, please subscribe for email updates here

YOUR INPUT

Engagement for phase one is now closed. In phase one, there were five topic areas for you to provide feedback on.

1. Community Values: What do you love about your community & the area?
2. Areas for Improvement: What are the current challenges?
3. Hopes & Fears: What scares you & what are your big ideas?
4. Calling all kids!: Draw us a picture. We want to see what the kids love most about their neighbourhood
5. Show Us: Have a location specific idea or concerns to share with us?

Please click through the tabs below to see what your neighbours had to say.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE AREA?

We want to hear what you love and value most about your community and the Westbrook area.

Tell us about the hidden gems. What are the assets that exist in your community? What makes your community unique and contributes to its character? Why do you love your community?

Tell us a story and feel free to include photos of the things you love.

NOT EVERY COMMUNITY IS PERFECT.

When it comes to growth and redevelopment, we want to know what are the current challenges?

What kind of barriers currently exist in the community? What isn’t working and needs attention? What are the pain points that currently exist? What are the burning issues related to current redevelopment in your community?

Using this tool, please share your ideas below and it will be posted on a sticky note within the page. If you agree with a previous sticky note give it a thumbs up, if you disagree, give it a thumbs down.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES & FEARS ABOUT GROWTH & REDEVELOPMENT?

Growth and redevelopment means change and we get it, change can be scary. Redevelopment can bring forward problems and concerns when not done in a thoughtful way, but change and growth can also bring opportunity, revitalization, and some exciting things that contribute to vibrant and welcoming communities.

We invite you to participate in conversations with your neighbours about your hopes and fears connected to growth and redevelopment in the area. This tool allows you to post your comments for your neighbours to see and you are also able to reply to comments posted by your neighbours. Please keep it respectful.

We want to hear from you about:

• HOPES: We want you to think about big ideas! What great outcomes would you like to see from growth and redevelopment? What are your aspirations for your community through change? What should things look like in 20 - 30 years? Who currently isn’t being served well enough by your community, and what opportunities exist to fill those gaps? What would make your community better, safer, more accessible and enjoyable? Where do you see the biggest opportunity for growth in the community?

• FEARS: We want you to think about future threats. What problems or concerns do you have with future redevelopment? What scares you most about change to your community as a result of redevelopment?

Using the tool below, share your comments and let us know if it is a hope or fear.

DRAW US A PICTURE!

This activity is for the children and youth in the Westbrook Communities! We want to see what the kids in the Westbrook Communities love most about their neighbourhood, or what their hopes for the future are.

Draw us a picture and show us:

• What you think makes your neighbourhood a great place to live!
• What are your favorite spots and destinations.
• What big ideas do you have and what do you think the area should have in the future?

Have a location specific opportunity or challenge to share with us?

Show us on the map below.

Using the marker please place a pin showing us locations where you think potential opportunities for redevelopment exist (blue pin) or where redevelopment challenges currently exist (red pin).

You can use the zoom function to get in closer.