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Each month (except summer) a Planning Update is published in the Federation newsletter. Read the latest newsletters at this link.
The Federation has recently developed some resource materials for community association planning committees focused on citizen engagement. Specifically, these tools and resources are aimed at promoting more effective and representative planning committees, greater citizen involvement in community planning, and proactive, visionary planning exercises. Please visit the MEMBERS ONLY SECTION of our website to access a number of contacts, resources, and useful articles for community association planning volunteers. If you are having trouble logging in, please e-mail us or phone (403) 244-4111 ext. 202.
A process for re-using school sites that have been declared “surplus” was approved by Council on July 27 2009. In most cases these are sites where schools were never built and are presently open space. They are mostly in communities built between the 70s and 90s. Amendments to the Municipal Government Act allow a variety of public-related uses on surplus sites, including libraries, special care facilities, day care, emergency services, affordable housing, etc. – on the conceptual school footprint only, not on the surrounding grounds. The City process first considers keeping the land as open space, then looks at options for City uses, and then considers third-party proposals, with the land remaining in public ownership. Community consultation is part of this process. For the City’s process Click here. For the Federation’s comments to Council Click here.
Calgary's Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 establishes the land use rules (or zoning) for parcels of land. Go to www.calgary.ca/landusebylaw for information, including an link to a PDF of the bylaw. The Bylaw is regularly updated and amended. Amendments are posted online and organized by date. Each community association can receive one free hardcopy of the Bylaw courtesy of the City, through the Federation, subject to availability. If your community association does not yet have a hardcopy, contact the Federation planner. If you do have a hardcopy it is important to keep it up to date by downloading and inserting the amendments. The Partners In Planning education program offers a free course on the land use bylaw every year. Brief online tutorials are also available on the City website at www.calgaryca/landusebylaw under Training.
Land Use Designations and descriptions for individual properties and community areas can be found at www.calgary.ca/myproperty
The Federation is a member of the Land Use Bylaw Sustainment Advisory Committee, a group of City, Community and Industry representatives tasked with monitoring the implementation of the new Bylaw and considering changes. If your community has comments on the new Bylaw, or is running into problems with aspects of it, contact the Federation planner.
Plan It Calgary is the common name of the new Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Calgary Transportation Plan (CTP), effective April 2010. As the senior City plan, it will be very influential when planning decisions are made. One goal is to accommodate the expected doubling of the city's population over the next few decades, by directing a greater portion of that growth into the city’s existing area. Go to www.calgary.ca/planit for more information and to look at the plans.
The Federation was a member of the Key Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Plan It Calgary, and is a member of the Plan It Implementation Committee.
The City is establishing land use rules, planning guidelines and other initiatives regarding the siting of special care facilities, shelters and non-market housing. The City has been working with a combined group of stakeholders from community associations and social agencies. A package of guidelines and initiatives was approved by Council in July 2008 and a Special Care Guide is forthcoming. The City is also promoting Good Neighbour Agreements for potentially controversial developments. The City’s web page on the Special Care Guide and Good Neighbour Agreements is at www.calgary.ca/specialcare.
Click here for the link to the City's proposal as of 2008.
The City is promoting a voluntary Demolition and Construction Site Code of Practice as a pilot program. The Federation encourages every community to make developers and builders aware of the Code and encourage them to adopt its practices. The Code collects the various existing rules, adds some communication requirements and good neighbour practices. Click here to read the Code as it is being piloted. For more information contact Cliff De Jong at the City.
The Community Heritage Roundtable is a series of regular (usually quarterly) discussions around heritage issues focussed on sharing information and inspiring community action. It is managed by a volunteer steering committee of heritage advocates and community leaders including the Federation. For more information on the next roundtable and to register click here or send a note to planning@calgarycommunities.com
The Federation of Calgary Communities represents community interests on committees, including the Site Planning Team for Joint Use Sites (SPT deals with issues related to school and CA sites, park space and other reserve land), the Environmental Advisory Committee (Click here for more information on EAC), and stakeholder committees for the Land Use Bylaw and Plan It Calgary. We also represent community interests on projects and citywide consultations as they arise. We try to ensure that communities are aware of any proposed policy changes, and that community interests are brought forward for consideration. For the latest information see the Planning Update in our newsletter
In collaboration with the City of Calgary, the Federation of Calgary Communities has produced a Guide to assist communities dealing with development. "A Community Guide to the Planning Process" is available free of charge to community associations (limited copies), and copies can also be purchased for $25 + GST. It is also online at the link below. The Federation offers workshops on the Guide (Orientation to Planning Process and Issues); check the Partners In Planning section for more on planning education or click here to register for the next course.
Click here to go to the page for the Community Guide, 2008 edition.
Click here to purchase a copy.
To register for an upcoming course, please click here.
 The Partners in Planning Program (PIP) is a planning skills certificate training program offered by the Federation of Calgary Communities in partnership with The City of Calgary. View the PIP pamphlet.
Core courses are:
- The Basics of Implementation Planning
- Understanding the Land Use Bylaw
- Presentation Skills for Council and the Subdivision & Development Appeal Board
Elective courses are also offered each year.
Participants will receive a certificate after the completion of three (3) core courses and one (1) elective.
Award Winning Program
The Partners in Planning Program is the 2002 winner of the Peter Bloodoff, MCIP Award for Planning Excellence in the category of Impact on the Profession from the Canadian Institute of Planners.
The program has also been awarded the "Award of Merit" for the 2002 Alberta Association Canadian Institute of Planners - Planning Awards.
Overcoming Barriers to Sustainable Urban Development: Toward Smart Growth in Calgary
Sustainable Calgary's Smart Growth report presents the principles of Smart Growth as a sustainable alternative to the current pattern of new suburban development in Calgary. According to the report, our current sprawling form of development poses significant threats to the environment, our physical health and sense of community.
The report claims that despite several efforts thus far to implement more sustainable urban growth, significant changes have not materialized in Calgary due to an entrenched pattern of growth based auto-dependent development. In order to produce systemic change developers, public officials and citizens must take action to overcome the path-dependency and specific barriers that hinder change. The Smart Growth report presents ten recommended actions to accelerate the transition toward sustainable development and catalyze debate regarding Calgarys urban form. The recommended priority actions include:
- Promote Smart Growth through a public engagement and education campaign
- Reform planning regulations and municipal policies so they clearly support more sustainable forms of growth
- Allow for greater public involvement in the planning of new communities
- Provide incentives that encourage developers to implement Smart Growth initiatives
- Create a citizens panel to review Calgarys electoral system
Click here to view the PDF version of the report.
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The links found on this page are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat to view. |
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