PROJECT UPDATE: June 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been some impacts to the Westbrook Communities project timeline:

• Project timelines have been adjusted as required to ensure meaningful public engagement can take place in connection with the project.
• The timeline for working group sessions have also been adjusted as required.
• Any online or in-person public engagement opportunities scheduled in the future will be shared as soon as they are confirmed.

We will continue to provide updates on this project and its timelines as we move through the LAP process.

Westbrook Communities Local Growth Planning Project Working Group

Between September 22 and October 14, 2019, The City was accepting applications for the Westbrook Communities Local Area Planning Working Group. This working group will provide key input into the Westbrook Communities project and will help ensure different viewpoints and perspectives are brought to the table. We received over 175 applications from the broader community.

Members of the working group will participate in seven focused sessions where they will engage in dialogue and discussion of the broader planning interests of the entire area as we develop a new local area plan for the communities of: Wildwood, Spruce Cliff, Westgate, Rosscarrock, Shaganappi, Glendale, Killarney/ Glengarry, Glenbrook and the portions of Upper Scarboro/Sunalta West and Richmond that are west of Crowchild Trail..

There are 39 members in the working group. The group is made up of: 9 representatives from the area Community Associations, 5 Development Industry Representatives and 25 members from the general community area. To review the Terms of Reference for the Working Group, please click here.

Meet the Westbrook Communities Working Group members - read the biographies here.

Testimonials from other working group participants

"I had a wonderful experience as a member of the North Hill Working Group. I got to meet so many great people from surrounding communities and have some really interesting discussions with them and The City. Some had similar concerns, some had different concerns, but what I really learned is that we are all interested in the well-being of our communities. I'm really grateful I had this opportunity to take input from the wider community and collaborate with such a diverse group of people." - Aysia S, North Hill Communities working group member

"For years, our residents have often requested newer local planning to update the last City-led planning exercise that covers all of our neighbourhood, which last took place in the late 1970s, and guide local redevelopment. Because area redevelopment plans tend to be small and prevent change, the City reviews them rarely. Covering larger areas, local growth plans can be reviewed and updated more often, making them better able to reflect reality and guide future growth. As a member of our local growth plan working group, I've been very impressed with the positive, collaborative, and open process. The best part has been having a diverse group of Calgarians from our area (including residents, business owners, builders, and City planners) listening to each other and working together to solve local problems to make a better place for everyone." - Nathan H. North Hill Communities working group member

What communities are involved?

The Westbrook Communities Local Area Plan initiative includes the communities of: Wildwood, Spruce Cliff, Westgate, Rosscarrock, Shaganappi, Glendale, Killarney/Glengarry, Glenbrook and the portions of Upper Scarboro/Sunalta West and Richmond that are west of Crowchild Trail.

What is the deadline for applying to the group?

Applications were accepted until October 14, 2019.

How were working group members selected?

The City analyzed each application received for the general community members and industry rand made efforts to select members that represented a broad range of perspectives and interests. Efforts were made to ensure the group included;

• both renters and owners
• a balance of male and female participants
• a diverse range of ages
• student, family and single professional perspectives
• business owners and those that work in the area
• both new and long term residents

Unlike a research based focus group, this group is not meant to be statistically representative of the area, but best efforts were made to ensure a broad demographic representation and range of perspectives were included based on the applications that were submitted

The Community Association representatives were selected by each of the Community Associations and The City was not involved in their selection process.

How often will the working group meet?

There will be seven three-hour working group sessions held between November 2019 and November 2020. Sessions will be held on evenings or weekends. These meetings are tentatively scheduled in the following months (and are subject to change):

Who is on the working group?

The working group structure is intended to represent a broad range of stakeholder and citizens views and will include up to 40 members. Membership will be compromised of:

• 25 representatives of the general community
• 9 representatives from community associations in the plan area
• 5 representatives of the development industry

Who applied for the working group?

We had an overwhelming response from the community and received over 175 applications from the community.

The breakdown of applications received by community is as follows:

How many representatives will each community have on the working group?

There will be one designated representative from each Community Association in the plan area. In addition to this there are allocated spots to the general community, these have been allocated based on population distribution of the community relative to the total population of the plan area.

The breakdown (inclusive of CA reps) is as follows:

What is the purpose of this working group?

The purpose of this group is to serve as a sounding board to The City’s project team and participate in more detailed dialogue about the broader planning interests of the entire area including; connectivity of the communities, transition areas, interface and with a focus on big ideas and actions/ opportunities for future growth.

To review the terms of reference, please click here.

What is the authority of the working group?

The working group does not have an approving role for the new local area plan. Rather, it serves as an advisory group, representing a cross-section of opinions and interests, to assist in setting policy direction for the new local area plan. The City project team will try and accommodate the direction of the working group whenever possible, but City policy, budgetary, and technical considerations will also be factored into the decision-making process and the final outcome will include a balance of community input, technical and policy feasibility and market viability.

What are The City’s expectations of working group members?

• Group members are expected to participate in the seven working group sessions and provide input into the local area planning process;
  • Review the local area planning project information, examine the benefits and trade-offs of growth, and provide input into solutions that meet community needs for growth;
  • Act as liaisons to their respective stakeholder groups and the broader community to help ignite broader community interest, gather input and share information about the project;
  • Complete homework and research assignments, where applicable, throughout the project.

When will I be notified if I have been selected for the group?

All applicants have been notified of their status as of October 29.

Working Group Session Five: Focus Areas & Supporting Amenities

During the weeks of July 13 & 20, 2020, the working group participated in the fifth session online via MS Teams. At this session working group members participated in a discussion to:

• Take a deeper dive into four location specific focus areas and corridors to further discuss ideas regarding function and scale
• Provided ideas about parks and transportation amenities and infrastructure to support future growth in the area

Presentation from the session: Session 5 Presentation: Focus Areas & Supporting Amenities

Working Group Session Four: Function & Scale (Phase One)

On Saturday, February 8, 2020, the working group participated in the fourth session hosted by Glendale Community Association. At this session working group members participated in activities to:

• Learn about the concepts of purpose, function and scale
• Build upon the activity heat map created, layering on function and scale

Presentation from the session: Session 4 Presentation: Function & Scale

Working Group Session Three: Activity Levels and Attributes (Phase One)

On Thursday, January 16, 2020 the working group participated in the third session hosted by Killarney/Glengarry Community Association. At this session working group members participated in activities to:

• Learn about the concept of activity levels
• Map different activity levels throughout the plan area
• Assign attributes to different activity areas using aspirational photos

Presentation from the session: Session 3 Presentation: Activity Levels & Attributes

Working Group Session Two: Community Assets & Amenities (Phase One)

On Wednesday, December 10, 2019 the working group participated in the second session hosted by Westgate Community Association. At this session working group members participated in activities to:

• Identify current assets and amenities in the area
• Identify gaps in assets and amenities in the area
• Identify future opportunities in the area

Presentation from the session: Session 2 Presentation: Community Assets & Amenities

Working Group Session One: Planning 101 (Phase one)

On Wednesday, November 20, 2019 the Working Group participated in their first session, hosted by the Rosscarrock Community Association. At this session working group members:

• Met their fellow working group members and got to know each other
• Learned about the project and the engagement process
• Built an understanding of The City's planning process
• Learned about the local context and key concepts that will be considered as we move forward with this plan
• Reviewed the roles and responsibilities of the working group

Presentation from the session: Session 1 Presentation: Planning 101