Hillhurst & Sunnyside

Recent History of Community Planning

University of CalgaryEnvironmental Design

Presentation for Students

January 28, 2014Tim Kitchen

Sunnyside (1911)

Themes

• Governance• Policy Change• Systemic Effects• Built Environment• Community Engagement

Hillhurst & Sunnyside

Population 10,000

Community Milestones

• 1904 Sunnyside incorporated into Calgary• 1907 Hillhurst Annexed• 1910 Hillhurst Athletic Park sold to City• 1914 Hillhurst incorporated into Calgary• 1942 Hillhurst & Sunnyside Community Association

formed• 1973 H&S Community Planning Committee formed

– Memorial Drive to become a highway– 10st interchange – Louise bridge replaced - 2 bridges 9a southbound 10

northbound

• 1980s Calgary LRT designed for 9a St• 1987 Sunnyside Station built• 1988 January H&S Area Redevelopment Plan Approved

Milestones cont.

In May 2006, The City of Calgary initiated a new public process and planning policy program to implement Council’s 2004 Policy for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in existing communities.

Hillhurst/Sunnyside was chosen as the first community to launch this program for the following reasons:

– Imminent redevelopment opportunities; – Large parcels of City-owned land that is underdeveloped; and – The need to assess the lack of significant redevelopment and

reinvestment activity along the 10 Street NW commercial corridor since the LRT station has been operational.

February 2009, HSCA Area Redevelopment Plan Part 2 TOD– Lands that have the best potential to accommodate higher densities

with minimal impact on the surrounding low-density residential community.

Sustainable Communities

Sustainable is the capacity to endure, • Derived from the Latin sustinere (tenere, to hold; sus, up) main meanings

being to “maintain", "support", or "endure”

Community a broad term for friendship or organized society• Derived from the Old French communité which is derived from the Latin

communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"),

Sustainable Communities = Endure our gifts together

Ecological Foot Print

2010 State of the Environment Report

2010 State of the Environment Report

Focus Areas for Improvement

Case for Change

• The need to shift away from unsustainable land use patterns, has emerged as a key environmental issue for Calgary.

• This means opportunities to build complete, people centered communities that offer a mix of housing types, jobs, schools, amenities and recreation.

• As Calgary’s population is expected to double in 60 years, changes need to be made to reduce the impacts of living working and playing.

• The MDP, CTP and ARP call for increased mixing of land uses, higher intensities of people living and working in Calgary and more efficient and integrated transit, cyclist and pedestrian facilities

Rate of Change

• The adoption of new bylaws has resulted in a significant increase development opportunities.– Transit Oriented Development (TOD) 2004

– Municipal Development Plan (MDP) 2007

– HSCA’s Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) 2009

• Historically the large complex projects happened once every 10 years, currently there are a dozen projects of this scale planned and/or under construction.

• The number of development projects has increased along with the complexity of the development.

The Change

The Impact

The Challenge

• Community engagement for the purpose of gathering feedback on development proposals is managed by a Not for Profit, the Community Association

• HSCA Planning Committee consisted of a small group of volunteers and until recently administered by a part time paid role funded by the CA.

• Development within a community is primarily initiated by for profit developers and city departments (transportation, transit, parks, corporate properties etc) and managed by paid staff.

Development Processes

• There are numerous approaches for development within a community, for private landowners and those for City of Calgary. Each approach dictates the community consultation timing and involvement.

• The approach for private lands is dependant on factors such as building within current zoning, the zoning change required and if Direct Controlled zoned.

• The City of Calgary has various approaches dependent on the department initiating the change, each with a unique process for engaging in community consultation.

• The tracking and management of the development projects and community consultation is generally handled internal to each department and in some cases to each project.

2012 Problem/Opportunity

Problem Statement• The current approach to planning and development in Hillhurst and

Sunnyside is not working. The level and complexity of the developments and requirements for community engagement is beyond the capacity of group of community volunteers to manage.

Opportunity Statement• Create a sustainable approach to community planning and development to

meet the needs and wants of the broader stakeholder community. Where necessary adopt enabling technologies, processes and organizational structures to support the growing community.

Representative Structure

• Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association • Kensington Business Redevelopment Zone • The Dobbin Group • Streetside Developments • Federation of Calgary Communities • Planning Implementation CoC • Established Community Planning CoC • Parks Centre CoC• City Wide Planning – Land Use Planning & Policy CoC• Transportation Planning CoC• Ward 7 Alderman’s office

The Goals

• Make Hillhurst & Sunnyside a destination to live, work, play and conduct business

• Align development projects with City and Community goals

• Provide framework for good decision making

• Enable a standard process(s) for community planning and development (beyond a single community)

• Encourage behaviors that facilitate effective cross-functional multi-stakeholder communication

Business Value Proposition

Proposition:Engagement of community and city stakeholders in an early review and design discussions.

Business value:• Improve community and business confidence in determining development

outcomes• Mitigate downside risks to cost and schedule escalation• Manage upside opportunities of cost and schedule improvements• Optimized development potential• Better alignment with policy, bylaw and standards (MDP, CTP & ARP)• Collaborative

Major Influence Rapidly Decreasing Influence Low Influence

Approval to Proceed

INFL

UEN

CEEXPEN

DITU

RES

Front End Loading

ASSESS SELECT DEFINE EXECUTE OPERATE Gate

Front End LoadingFront End Loading

Influence - Expenditures

GateGateGateGate

Project Life Cycle

Front End Loading (FEL)

• The work performed to develop a detailed scope definition of a project prior to the appropriation of funds for the Execute Phase.

• This encompasses all of the activities from the conception of an idea in the Assess Phase through the end of the Define Phase.

• Effective use of FEL may have a significant impact on cost,

schedule, and operability.

• Primary objectives of FEL include minimizing changes in the Execute Phase of a project, and providing early screening and elimination of inappropriate scope and projects.

RISK MANAGEMENT - RISK MITIGATION

Transforming Planning

Taskforce Objective #1? Fit Taskforce efforts to vertical integration points• Graphical reference to “Outline of New Planning System”

Transforming Planning

Taskforce objective # 2?Evaluate practical structure alternatives for a multi-stakeholder dialogue

Multi-Stakeholder Task Force (MSTF)

Summary of Events• Up until the winter of 2012, community residents

volunteered on the Community Planning Committee (CPC) to solicit and submit community members’ feedback on development applications. However, committee members became overwhelmed with the demands on their time and it was agreed that the committee would be disbanded. An Interim Planning Committee (IPC) has continued to meet and review development applications.

• The Hillhurst Sunnyside Multi-Stakeholder Taskforce was convened in February 2013.

• A diverse group of residents, local businesses, developers and City of Calgary staff, who came together to co-design a new community engagement and stakeholder feedback process.

• This new process would serve to: improve the development application process and contribute to good decision making that addressed the needs and concerns of all stakeholders.

MSTF Activities

• The MSTF worked with a facilitator and was guided design process, utilizing the Reos Change Lab methodology. This approach is well suited for multi-stakeholder initiatives and has a strong track record of supporting effective solutions for ‘stuck’ problems.

• The MSTF met every second Wednesday, for three hours between April and June 2013.

• It was guided by the convening question: How can we, the MSTF, successfully achieve a great community, as defined by Hillhurst Sunnyside’s Area Re-development Plan, through a community engagement and stakeholder feedback process that is inclusive, efficient and influences good decision making?

MSTF Activities

Recent Milestones

• December 2013 CPC is newly established with a Chair and Terms of Reference

• December 2013 HSCA Board approves Partnering with Imagine Calgary

• December 2013 MSTF reconvenes to pilot a new process using Memorial Drive project

• January 2014 draft Kensington Policy & Planning Committee proposal

• TBD March 2014 City Council approves Memorandum of Understanding with HSCA, Kensington BRZ and City of Calgary

New Kensington Policy & Planning Committee

Outcomes• Formation of a new Kensington Planning & Policy Committee• Process for addressing policy amendments affecting the community.• A Memorandum of Understanding with City of Calgary, Hillhurst &

Sunnyside Community Association and Kensington Business Redevelopment Zone

Purpose• The Committee is to determine highest benefits for the community from

changes to the community’s built environment• To address all proposed land use and policy amendments to existing

community Land Use and the Area Redevelopment Plan

Process• A 4 stage process

– Amendment review– Committee analysis – H&S Community engagement– Committee amendment recommendation to City Council

Governance• Representatives from HSCA through a Standing Committee of the

Board and defined in the Bylaws• Representatives from Kensington BRZ through a Standing

Committee of the Board and defined in the Bylaws• Representatives from City of Calgary TBD• Co-Chairs representation from HSCA, City of Calgary and

Kensington BRZ• The Committee links to Explore stage within the Transforming

Planning process• Imagine Calgary Goals and Strategies, HSCA ARP to guide

community benefits determination

New Kensington Policy & Planning Committee

Built Environment and Infrastructure System

Imagine Calgary Goal

Our choices are influenced by our local realities and our lives are powered by a diversity of renewable energy sources and a commitment to zero waste. We have diverse and affordable choices for housing and transportation options, and these increase meaningful connections between us, our city, the region and the world.

Placemats

Transforming Planning

• Fit of Taskforce efforts to Vertical integration points