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Edmonton city council has approved plans for more than a dozen 15-minute cities to make neighborhoods “climate resilient.” The new plans replace 54 planning documents dating back decades.

Edmonton city council approved October 2 an urbanization policy concerning 14 districts. It aims to accommodate two million people. Another district plan remains under review.

City officials will implement the new policy immediately, reported CTV News. 

“We are building a cohesive city, with opportunities for local living,” Mayor Amarjeet Sohi earlier told reporters. “Our city is growing,” he added. 

“The more we can accommodate existing infrastructure and neighborhoods, the better it is for taxpayers.”

According to the District Planning Guide, building a “community of communities — small towns in our big city” is a multi-year project to accommodate Edmontonians.

“This vision is for new and current residents to enjoy more housing, recreation, education and employment opportunities in all of Edmonton’s districts and to have more travel options within and across districts,” reads a January email.

The city assessed public feedback through March and worked to compile a report for April.

In March, the Task Force for Housing and Climate, chaired by former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson, issued dozens of recommendations to reconcile Canada’s housing crisis with its climate policy. 

Iveson urged developers to build within neighbourhoods and make use of existing public transit infrastructure. “It’s cheaper for cities to build this way,” he said.

The federal housing and climate report contends less urban sprawl is needed to implement 15-minute cities. To reduce carbon footprints, Better Housing suggests adding bike lanes and legalizing small shops on side streets.

Edmonton’s planning administration aims to accommodate more than 600,000 new residents in redeveloped areas, with 50% of all new housing units added through infill.

They also called for half of all future travel to be done by transit, and for residents to access their daily needs within 15-minutes of their homes.

“… residents can easily access amenities and services close to home,” said Kim Petrin, the deputy city manager of urban planning and economy.

The 15-minute cities concept has been subject to considerable pushback, including fears that travel would be restricted to a person’s district.

Sandeep Agrawal, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Alberta, earlier told CTV that locking residents into their area is “a total myth.”

“It's disinformation that is floating around,” Agrawal said. “There's not an iota of truth to it.”

Mayor Sohi also said he does not intend to restrict the movement of 1.14 million Edmontonians to their district. 

More than 100,000 people moved to the provincial capital since 2021, driving the population up to 1.14 million last year — a 10% increase, according to Statistics Canada.

The City of Edmonton is projecting nearly 100,000 more people will move to the city through 2027. The 14 district plans replace 54 existing planning documents dating back decades.