City of Edmonton Recognized for its Green Downtown Plan

June 15, 2011

Commitment to sustainability honoured with Emerald Award

The City of Edmonton was a winner at the 20th annual Emerald Awards on June 15, 2011. This is the sixth time the City is an Emerald Award recipient.

The City won in the Government Institution category for its innovative Capital City Downtown Plan, approved by City Council less than a year ago.

“Environmental sustainability is one of the key components of the plan,” says Mary Ann McConnell-Boehm, Director with the City’s Urban Planning and Environment Branch.

“The policies in the downtown plan commit the City, developers and other stakeholders to keep sustainability at the forefront when developing public and private land and initiating projects and programs in the downtown core.”

The Downtown Plan features numerous strategies for creating a cleaner environment, reducing green house gas emissions and maintaining a healthier natural environment:

  • Establish development requirements and promote incentives to encourage energy efficient and green building design and architecture.
  • Emphasize higher density development in the downtown served by public transit.
  • Concentrate urban growth within the downtown thus promoting less automobile-oriented and land-intensive development in the suburbs.
  • Create a more walkable and cycle-friendly downtown.
  • Increase the number of street trees and promote other forms of vegetation to soften the urban landscape and reduce the downtown heat island effect.
  • Conserve water and reducing stormwater run-off by using permeable paving and rain gardens to capture and filter runoff and reduce storm water flow.

The Capital City Downtown Plan was one of six City of Edmonton projects nominated this year for an Emerald Award. The others were:

  • Solar Electric Pilot Program
  • Rampart Industrial Land Development
  • Kennedale Constructed Wetland Stormwater Treatment Facility & Monitoring Program
  • Real Time Control (RTC) Gates to control combined sewer overflowFuel Site Renewal Program

As an 11 time finalist and now six time Emerald Award winner, the City of Edmonton is proud of these environmental successes. This year’s winner and nominees are among the measures the City is taking to preserve and sustain Edmonton’s environment, and contribute to the goals set out in The Way We Green, Edmonton’s draft environmental strategic plan.

The Emerald Awards recognize and reward excellent environmental initiatives undertaken by large and small corporations, individuals, not-for-profit associations, community groups and governments. The awards are handed out by the Alberta Emerald Foundation.

 

For more information:

Mary Ann McConnell-Boehm

Sustainable Development

Title Director, Urban Planning and Environment
Telephone

780-496-6063
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