I was involved with this project while working for the City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department in the summer of 2000.  Heritage Valley is in the southwest part of Edmonton and is approximately 2, 000 hectares.  It is predicted that within 30 to 40 years, Heritage Valley will be home to over 65, 000 Edmontonians.  I was involved in a number of aspects of this plan.  Below are some descriptions of my work on this project.
 

Writing

   A major part of my involvement in the early stages was contributing to the writing and editing of the document itself.  I researched a number of elements including Transit-Oriented Development, New Urbanist Principles, Green Infrastructure, and the potential role of Information Technology on the area.  Working with members of the southwest planning team, I worked on the development and writing of objectives for different aspects of the plan.

Graphics Development

   Working in concert with my written work, I also contributed graphically to the plan.  I was asked to graphically illustrate some of the concepts that I was working on as well as some of the other elements of the plan that were already established or being developed.  Some of my graphic contributions include:

Town Centre Concept

   Working with Shafee Mohamed, the Senior Planner for southwest Edmonton, we developed a concept for the Town Centre in Heritage Valley.  Designed to be the heart of the community, the Town Centre is a key part of the early development of this area to ensure a liveable community.

Transit-Oriented Development

   Another important part of the Heritage Valley SCDB is the inclusion of transit as a central development factor.  Using the principles of a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Heritage Valley will provide residents with greater mobility options within the community and city of Edmonton.

Green Space Network

   The Heritage Valley SCDB calls for 24% of the land base to be open space - a significantly higher amount than typical suburban communities in Edmonton.  Utilizing a combination of environmental reserve, river ravines, utility corridors, and community parks, the open spaces will be connected to create a network that benefits the entire community.

Urban Design

   In planning for a new community of such a size, there are a number of urban design considerations that need to be dealt with.  I was involved with identifying areas of urban design importance and ensuring their inclusion into the SCDB.
 

Open House

   Another aspect of the plan that I was involved in was the Open House to consult with the public about issues in Heritage Valley and the City's plans for the area.  Along with logistical preparation, I worked with the southwest team on the following elements of the Open House:

Presentation Boards

   I helped to develop the boards that were to be presented to the public for the Open House.  These boards were the major method of communicating the plan to the public and helped to inform participants and stimulate conversations with the planners about the future of this community.
 

Informational Powerpoint

   Members of the Planning and Development Department saw this Open House as an opportunity to educate the public about issues in city development and planning.  I worked with my colleagues to create a Powerpoint presentation that independently ran throughout the duration of the Open House, helping to give the public a general background on the issues and concepts that helped to shape the Heritage Valley SCDB.