Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ (Oliver) Neighbourhood Renewal and Why it Matters

Winkwentowin is a key neighborhood for the city and it presents a rare opportunity to implement strategies that align with the city's goals. This project could also set a precedent for future renewal projects. If you have not seen the proposed designs and vision for the nighbourhood, take a look:
https://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/on_your_streets/oliver-neighbourhood-renewal

We have also created a side-by-side comparison of each proposed design that outlines some of our suggested improvements. You can read about the larger projects here, and the smaller projects here.

In-person engagement sessions are happening at 4:30 on:

• July 11th - at Holy Child School (9844 110 Street NW)
• July 17th- at Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ School (10227 118 Street NW)

The highlights are fairly nice, and would be a huge improvement to this neighbourhood! However, when looking past the highhlights and considering how Wîhkwêntôwin fits into the larger picture, we believe that the City needs to think bigger!

This project provides a unique and timely opportunity to help the City achieve several of it's stated goals, and the current designs simply do not go far enough in supporting those goals. 

Read on to learn:

• Why the Winkwentowin Renewal matters so much
• Why this is a once in a lifetime opportunity
• How this project must align with the City's goals
• How these and future designs could be improved.

How the Designs Could be Improved

We love these designs as they go a long way to increasing the bikeability and walkability of the neighbourhood, and the project team deserves credit for their hard work. The highlights are especially nice. However, there are opportunities to make our money go further, to support the City's goals, and to ensure that citizen safety is a priority.

1. 50% Modal Share by 2050: To support this goal, we think that connectivity, infrastructure quality, and deprioritizing driving must be its focus. The current Plan does a good job of increasing the number of north/south and east/west connections to the existing bike network but we think it falls short on the remaining factors in several specific ways:
   1. The local street bikeways proposed do not meet the The Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety (Can-BICS) Classification System guidelines. As proposed, the local street bikeways would be less safe for cyclists than not having any bike infrastructure. The proposed local street bikeways must both reduce traffic volumes and slow vehicle speeds in an intentional way to alleviate this problem. Specifically, on-street parking should be removed whenever a local street bikeway is present, and traffic calming measures like modal filters, curb extensions, and raised crosswalks must be present. Alternatively, these new bike paths could be upgraded to continuous, fully separated infrastructure. 
   2. The vision for this project still focuses on automobiles. Driving must become less convenient and less subsidized than the current plans support if the City is to convince drivers to use other modal choices. For instance, Wîhkwêntôwin has several shortcut routes that can be further minimized because the neighbourhood is bracketed by Jasper Ave, 104 Ave, 109 Street, and 124 Street, all of which provide adequate connections for commuting drivers. Anecdotally, much of the existing traffic is drivers looking for free parking to walk to work downtown or go to school at MacEwan. We suggest increasing the parking prices in Wîhkwêntôwin, commensurate with the existing parking structures on campus or in the core of the City, to reduce this issue. Though parking is not within the control of neighbourhood renewal, it is a critical aspect of achieving the City's modal share goals as it directly impacts the decisions made on this renewal and the quality of life of neighbourhood residents.
2. Green Spaces: We suggest expanding parks and green corridors to support biodiversity and provide recreational areas. Additionally, strategically placed bioswales, using natural vegetation (especially drought and flood-resilient options), and an increased overall tree canopy of the neighbourhood would minimize the urban heat island effect. As planned, the proposed concrete structures increase the cost of the renewal project and reduce the number of modal filters that need to be installed. We suggest the project team prioritize using green space to improve the designs.
3. Safe Intersections and Traffic Calming Measures: We suggest redesigning intersections with curb extensions, pedestrian refuges, and improved lighting. Specifically, several intersections are proposed without continuous sidewalks, curb extensions, or daylighting strategies to ensure that pedestrians are visible, safe, and prioritized over other modes of transportation. Secure bike parking provides an excellent tool to daylight intersections and would both increase safety at crossings while encouraging cycling.
4. Pedestrian Priority Zones: The current Plan proposes some parklets and a linear park between 102 Ave and 103 Ave on 121 Street. This decision is a huge step forward for the neighbourhood. Still, there is considerable opportunity to designate additional car-free zones and pedestrian plazas, like a dedicated space for the farmer's market that could also be activated for other events throughout the year because of the relative lack of need for car access in this neighbourhood.
5. Community Amenities: Wîhkwêntôwin has several beautiful parks, and the designs propose additional public spaces. However, the project designs could include missing amenities such as public washrooms, winter-proof water fountains, and secure bike parking near all bike lanes and public spaces. We suggest that with these additions, the needs of the community and the active transportation network users accessing the neighbourhood would be well served.
6. Accessibility Standards: We suggest ensuring new developments meet the accessibility standards for all residents. This work may include converting some parking spaces to loading zones, adding accessible parking stalls, ensuring DATS access, and ensuring that these loading/parking locations have adequate wide sidewalks that connect them to all destinations and residences within the neighbourhood. 

Alignment with City Goals

City Plan

The City Plan directs administration to build communities that are bike, walk and roll-friendly result in greater joy,
fitness and a wider range of transportation options.

Mobility is a foundational system in The City Plan and provides direction to the development of three networks: active transportation, transit, and roadway and goods movement. The plan states that the active transportation network will “create critical connections using walking, wheeling, or biking that allow people to access amenities, daily needs, and recreational opportunities.

The active transportation network is integral to achieving the overall goals of The City Plan by facilitating a broader array of mobility options. This is achieved by improving and creating new opportunities for active mobility “through the provision of high quality infrastructure” to “reduce traffic congestion, create better environmental outcomes, and improve public health.” Biking is identified as an important way to support the system of nodes and corridors as
places with a strong convergence of transit, walking and cycling. The Green and Blue Network (of parks, ravines, and the river valley) is also identified as a place for people to bike and walk, connecting them to destinations, and to recreate and relax.

The City Plan’s five “Big City Moves” define bold, transformative priorities for Edmonton. They set the direction for change as the city welcomes one million more people.

1. Greener as we grow sets environmental goals around carbon emissions budgeting and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions per person relying in part on increasing the importance of active transportation including cycling.
2. Rebuildable City encourages the rethinking and reuse of existing land and infrastructure assets (like road rights-of-way) in order to adapt to a changing future. Being a rebuildable city means that efforts are always moving towards a better and more efficient city.
3. Community of Communities calls for a structure of compact districts and sets a goal of 50 per cent of all trips to be made by transit and active transportation (up from 23 per cent today). 
4. Inclusive and Compassionate sets a target for a reasonable level of household expenditure on transportation (with transit and active transportation positioned as cost-effective modes of transportation for households). 
5. Catalyze and Converge is about attracting talent and supporting businesses by continually creating the conditions and places that improve competitiveness. Improving greater opportunity of access to various locations and businesses helps facilitate this Big Move.

In our opinion, the proposed designs fall short of supporting these goals by 2050. Given the timelines involved, the Wîhkwêntôwin Neighbourhood Renewal must be build to support the full implementation of these goals as there will be no second chance to adapt the community before the next renewal.

Vision Zero Goals

What is Vision Zero?

Vision Zero is the long-term goal of zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries.

Vision Zero has been adopted by leaders in traffic safety including countries such as Australia and England, and major cities such as Oslo, New York, Denver, Minneapolis and San Francisco.

Vision Zero Principles

• No loss of life is acceptable
• Traffic fatalities and serious injuries are preventable
• We all make mistakes
• We are all physically vulnerable when involved in motor vehicle collisions
• Eliminating fatalities and serious injuries requires Edmontonians and the City to prioritize safety

The Safe Mobility Strategy 2021-2025 is Edmonton’s new approach to advancing Vision Zero. Ensuring safe mobility is a mechanism for supporting a healthy city, liveable urban places, climate resilience and a prosperous regional economy. This supports that the Bike Plan holds safety as an overarching, uncompromised, foundational aspect of bike infrastructure and programming.

The initial principles of the Safe Mobility Strategy include explicit recognition that everyone “moves,” and that we all deserve to move safely.

1. Safe Intersections: Redesign intersections with curb extensions, pedestrian refuges, and improved lighting.
2. Traffic Calming Measures: Implement speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and road narrowing to reduce vehicle speeds.
3. Protected Bike Lanes: Install separated bike lanes to protect cyclists from traffic.
4. Pedestrian Priority Zones: Designate car-free zones and pedestrian plazas.

laying out the goals of this plan and seeing how they align with this renewal project is not relevant at this time, since the Safe Mobility Strategy is set to be renewed for 2025. However, it is clear that the principles above could be better reflected throughout the project area to ensure that we achieve our goal of zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries.

Bike Plan

Edmonton's bike Plan envisions a city where people are invited to bike, for all reasons in all seasons. This neighbourhood renewal, along with several neighbourhood renewal projects and collector/arterial renwal projects offer the opportunity to rapidly advance the city towards achieving this goal. However, the $100M investment does not call for any investment into the Wîhkwêntôwin outside of this renewal project, and there is no commited funding to improve the quality or quantity of bike infrastructure beyond the timeline of this project. That means that if we cut corners now and select sub-standard infrastructure, there may not be any opportunity to replace or improve it until at least 2060! Not only that, but opting to save a little money on this project only to allocate money later to replace or improve what is getting built will be more expensive, likely by tens of millions of dollars. The best way to support Bike Plan is also the more fiscally resoponsible way to complete this renewal project - do it right the first time!

Pricinciples

• Health and Comfort
  Providing a bike network grounded in safety gives people a comfortable and secure way of getting around by bike. The network minimizes stress and anxiety about personal safety and security and other health and safety-related issues such as noise, vehicle pollution, headlight dazzle and spray from passing vehicles.
• Connectivity 
  The cycling network provides access to places where people want to bike without gaps or missing links. The network provides a diverse range of route options and experiences for users and opportunities to link to other modes of transportation.
• Directness
  The cycling network prioritizes direct and straight routes and minimizes out-of-direction travel and unnecessary stops.
• Network Density
  Grid size (distance between parallel routes in a network) depends on demand—higher demand areas have higher density.
• Attractiveness
  The cycling network is composed of routes that are aesthetically attractive, interesting, or pass through sociable places.
• Integration
  The function, design and use of a bike route is carefully considered so that it provides added value from an economic, social and safety perspective. Bike routes fit into an area’s and/or street’s context and are integrated into the road network in a way that makes sense to people who walk, roll, bike, take transit or drive.

The current design does a good job of achieving many of these principles, with the primary exception being safety. Some of the routes and infrastructure proposed are "Local Street Bikeways", whose safety issues are identified above. By improving the traffic caling measures along these proposed routes, while also drastically reducing the incentive for drivers to utilize these routes while searching for free parking or through routes, the proposed pathways could qualify as Local Street Bikeways and adequately meet the goals of the the Health and Comfort principle.

Community Energy Transition Strategy

Edmonton’s Community Energy Transition Strategy aims to address and mitigate climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency and promoting renewable energy systems. Actions are required across all sectors and addressing future transportation development is necessary to ensure Edmonton is resilient and sustainable in the long-term.

• Expand on-street biking facilities to make active transportation safer and more convenient.
• Assess the costs and benefits of a bike sharing program in high density areas as well as to and from transit centres and LRT stations.
• Significantly increase biking infrastructure beyond what is currently planned.

WinterCity Strategy

Edmonton’s WinterCity Strategy sets the stage to take advantage of our northern location, transforming Edmonton into a more inviting, vibrant and prosperous place for Edmontonians, business, industry and tourists throughout the winter months. Similar to bike planning, this change in outlook around winter requires a cultural shift.

The WinterCity Strategy emphasizes the City’s commitment to “Improve Winter Transportation for Pedestrians, Cyclists and Public Transit Users.” The strategy calls for Edmonton to:

• Implement best winter snow removal and transportation practices
• Explore innovative, barrier-free ideas to ease the challenges, inconveniences and dangers of winter mobility

Live Active Strategy

The Live Active Strategy is a collaborative strategy to encourage Edmontonians of all ages, abilities and interests to enjoy the benefits of physical activity. Living active is an essential component to a healthy lifestyle and contributes to many long-term and short-term physical, emotional and mental health benefits.

The development and creation of biking infrastructure in Edmonton supports a broader active transportation outcome of the Live Active Strategy. Having safe and designated infrastructure provides more opportunities for Edmontonians to build active travel into their daily lives and continues to support healthy city outcomes.

Action on Climate Change

Increasing the number of people biking and the number of biking trips advances our contribution to reducing the global greenhouse gas impact. In 2018, vehicles in Edmonton emitted 5.73 megatonnes of greenhouse gases, which constituted 31 per cent of the city’s total emissions. Vehicle emissions need to be reduced by 50 per cent by 2030, and by at least 95 per cent by 2050, if the city is going to do its part in keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Shifting trips from auto to biking trips eliminates the greenhouse gas emissions associated with those trips and is an effective way of achieving some of the necessary reductions. Cities in locations as diverse as Winnipeg, Göteborg (Sweden), and Xiamen (China), are dedicating significant funds to largescale bike infrastructure projects, regulatory changes and marketing programs to help achieve climate change goals.

Climate Adaptation Strategy

Through it's 11 Goals and 18 Actions, the City's Climate Change Adaption Strategy (called Climate Resilient Edmonton) intends, though its 11 goals and 18 actions, to achive the following:

• • Short-term (by 2025): Initial infrastructure improvements and pilot programs for micromobility and enhanced safety measures.
  • Mid-term (by 2030): Expansion of active transportation networks and full implementation of safety measures. These safety measures include:

    • Enhanced Infrastructure and Safety:

      • Develop resilient infrastructure for cycling and walking to withstand extreme weather events.
      • Implement traffic safety measures to support active transportation, aiming to reduce accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians.

      Promotion of Sustainable Transport:

      • Increase the mode share of cycling and walking by improving connectivity and accessibility of active transportation networks.
      • Encourage the use of micromobility options like e-scooters and bike-sharing programs.
  • Long-term (by 2050): Achieving significant mode shifts towards active transportation and substantial reductions in transportation-related emissions. City Plan sets an explicit goal of 50% modal share through active and public transportation by 2050.

Specific goals/actions that the Wîhkwêntôwin Neighbourhood Renewal must ensure it aligns with include:

To achieve this goal, Wîhkwêntôwin Neighbourhood Renewal must ensure that there is adequate tree cover to provide shelter and protection from the warmest days of Edmonton's amazing summer months, and to reduce the volume of concrete and other impermeable surfaces which contribute to the urban heat island effect. 

To achieve this goal, Wîhkwêntôwin Neighbourhood Renewal must include bioswale and natural vegetation that is both drought and flood resilient. This contributes to reduced maintenance while improving the ability to manage stormwater runoff and flood mitigation. Bioswales also improve the visual appeal of the neighbourhood, filter and improve air quality, increase property values, provide habitat for important biodoversity, and reduce the urban heat island effect.

Tree cover, bioswales, and natural vegetation also contribute to achieving this goal, and by supporting a modal shift from cars to less environmentally damaging transportation options, the Wîhkwêntôwin Neighbourhood Renewal can support the Climate Resilient Edmonton goals.

Why Wîhkwêntôwin Matters

Wîhkwêntôwin is a pivotal neighbourhood in Edmonton, strategically located at a focal point for active transportation, close to many amenities, including downtown, world-class educational institutions, and Edmonton's greatest asset—the river valley. Its advantageous position and existing infrastructure make it an ideal candidate for investment and development, aligning with the City's broader goals of promoting sustainable urban living, reducing car dependency, and fostering a vibrant community. 

Enhancing Wîhkwêntôwin promotes a healthier, more active lifestyle for residents, while improved transportation options will decrease traffic congestion and lower greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the City's climate goals. A vibrant, well-connected neighbourhood will attract businesses and tourists, boosting the local economy. By increasing multi-modal transportation options, the City also positions itself for a stronger financial future, potentially leading to fewer property tax increases and better service delivery opportunities. Furthermore, the success of Wîhkwêntôwin can serve as a model for future urban renewal projects, positioning Edmonton as a leader in sustainable urban development and setting a standard for subsequent renewal efforts.

Finally, a small number of neighbourhoods in Edmonton are tax positive.  Wîhkwêntôwin is one of the neighbourhoods that subsidizes the costs of much of the rest of this City, as detailed in an excellent Blog post from Coucillor Salvador. In the image below, the areas with large spikes generate tax revenue, whereas the flat areas cost more to build and maintain then they generate in taxes.

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity to Demonstate Leadership

The Wîhkwêntôwin renewal project represents a unique opportunity for Edmonton to demonstrate leadership in urban planning and sustainable development. By reimagining this neighbourhood, the City can showcase innovative solutions that prioritize people over cars, integrate green spaces, and promote active transportation. This project can serve as a landmark initiative, setting new standards for urban renewal and placemaking in Edmonton and beyond.

We recommend that the project team adopt a holistic approach that includes extensive community engagement, cutting-edge urban design, and sustainable practices to capitalize on this opportunity. This approach involves creating multifunctional public spaces, enhancing green infrastructure, and ensuring accessibility for all residents. Collaboration with international urban planning experts, local stakeholders, and environmental organizations can bring fresh perspectives and best practices to the project. 

Successfully transforming Wîhkwêntôwin will position Edmonton as a leader in sustainable urban development, attracting attention from other cities and potential investors. It will enhance the quality of life for residents, creating a more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient community. The project will also stimulate economic growth by attracting new businesses, boosting property values, and increasing tourism. Moreover, by demonstrating a commitment to innovative, people-centred urban planning, the City can foster civic pride and strengthen communities.

Vision Zero, the Climate Mitigation Strategy, and the City Plan (among others) have lofty goals to be achieved by 2050.  There will be no second chance to align the built environment of Wîhkwêntôwin to these goals in that timeframe, so this project has to think big, create the ideal infrastructure to support those goals and demonstrate to Edmontontians and the world that we are serious about achieving our stated goals.