Third local area plan approved by Council

The Heritage Communities Local Area Plan was approved by Council at the Sept. 19, 2023, Public Hearing of Council. This is the third local area plan to be brought forward and approved by Council as part of The City’s Local Area Planning Program.

Local area plans provide direction on change within communities—such as where different types of new homes and businesses could be welcomed and where opportunities for community improvements exist.

“Change is constant, and we have to plan for it,” said Stuart Dalgleish, General Manager of Planning and Development Services. “People’s needs and priorities are shifting, and we are in the midst of a housing crisis.”

We must continue to adapt and respond by working together to discuss and plan for the future at a local level. Discussing change in our communities can be challenging, but creating a plan to guide change provides greater certainty and predictability about how our communities could evolve over the next 30 years.

Conversations about where, why and how revitalization and redevelopment should happen are essential to ensure our communities change in the right ways.

“Local area plans allow us to discuss, envision and outline what change within our communities could look like,” said Breanne Harder, Coordinator of Local Area Planning. “Change will be gradual, but guaranteed, and local area plans ensure we have a plan to guide that change.”

Feedback provided by participants such as residents (from youth to seniors), community association representatives, business owners and others has shaped the local area plans that have been brought forward to and approved by Council. Participant feedback helps highlight the unique aspects, challenges and opportunities that exist within each plan area.

“We’ve worked together with thousands of participants—including 75 communities and seven industrial areas—to discuss challenges and opportunities, and create local area plans to guide change,” said Harder. 

Local area plans provide area-specific direction that helps inform how we support and invest in communities experiencing growth and change. Areas with approved local area plans — such as the Heritage Communities, Westbrook Communities and North Hill Communities — are now eligible to be considered for up to $20 million in seed funding that was approved by Council for use within the 2023-2026 budget cycle. This funding will be used for community improvements and enhancements, such as to public spaces and mobility connections, as identified in these local area plans.

With the approval of the Heritage Communities Local Area Plan, there is now local direction in place for an additional 10 communities and three industrial areas on future development, investment and community improvements that residents, landowners, builders/developers, City planners and Councillors can commonly refer to when new development and investment ideas are proposed.

Through the fall, more than 46 communities will be involved in the creation of their local area plan. Calgarians can visit calgary.ca/LAP to learn more and get involved in the local area planning projects that are currently being created.