The Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB) launched the final phase of public engagement for the Calgary Metropolitan Regional growth plan.
The regional growth plan showcases how 10 municipalities, including the City of Chestermere, City of Calgary, Town of Strathmore, City of Airdrie, Rocky View County and Wheatland County, are working together to plan for their next million residents.
“We’re looking forward to sharing the draft plan with the public through this last phase of engagement,” said the Chair of CMRB, Greg Clark.
“This plan is about approaching growth and new development differently than we have in the past, so we want to be sure that people in our communities know what’s being proposed and have the chance to tell us if they’re comfortable with the direction we’re heading,” he said.
The two previous phases of public engagement in 2020 supported the development of the current draft plan, which describes where and how new development will take place throughout the region.
The draft plan is based on a core belief that successful places whether neighbourhoods, towns, urban districts, or metropolitan regions must be diverse in uses and users, must be scaled to the pedestrian and human interaction, and must be environmentally sustainable.
These values were matched with input from the public and municipal administration to arrive at a draft Regional Growth Plan that includes
preferred placetypes to increase density and mixed-use development, and preferred growth areas to focus development in specific parts of the region.
Planned growth areas leading to more efficient and cost-effective servicing, conserving agricultural land and resources and having fully serviced neighbourhoods and employment areas where people can walk to, were all featured priorities for the draft plan.
Over the last year, representatives from the ten municipalities in the Calgary Metro Region have been working together to lay the foundation for the Regional Growth Plan.
The CMRB selected regional planning firm HDR|Calthorpe to develop the growth plan in consultation with member municipalities under the leadership of the board.
HDR|Calthorpe supports the development and implementation of regional plans that support diverse, walkable, sustainable, vibrant, environmentally responsible, mixed-use communities.
The Regional Growth Plan process revolves around three main stages, including information, gathering and visioning, regional scenarios, and policy draft and adoption.
The first phase of public engagement in the summer of 2020 helped the CMRB determine what should be included in the Regional Growth Plan after learning which outcomes of regional planning were most important to communities.
The second phase of public engagement in November of 2020 helped refine how the desired outcomes could be achieved through policies and implementation that reflect the unique interests of communities in the Calgary Metropolitan Region.
The third phase of public engagement is for the board to gather input on the ideas and choices that have been made in the draft plan. This phase of engagement offers the opportunity for the public and all stakeholders to share their thoughts on the plan to manage growth differently than in the past.
The board will use what is heard through the final phase as one of a few considerations in its decision-making process about the final Regional Growth Plan.
Along with public input, the CMRB will also consider input from municipal administration, regional planning best practices, and its own vision for the future of the Calgary Metropolitan Region to arrive at a final Regional Growth Plan that will be submitted to the province by June 1.
“We see so many benefits from working across municipalities to find ways to share services and make the best use of the natural resources in the Region,” said Clark.
Adding, “Less land consumed for development, fewer cars on the road meaning lower GHG emissions, and lower costs for roads and other infrastructure are just some of the outcomes we expect to see from this plan, not to mention more vibrant and diverse communities.”
The CMRB invites Albertans to visit the
Calgary Metropolitan Region website
to join the conversation online and register to attend a virtual open house before April 8.
For more details about the regional growth plan and the public engagement process or to learn more about the CMRB, please visit https://www.calgarymetroregion.ca/.
