City Council Strategic Goal 3

City Council stewards Lethbridge toward a well-designed city by ensuring quality urban design

• 3.1 - We strive for a well-designed city through proactive planning
• 3.2 - We are pursuing a more balanced approach to urban transportation options that includes pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users
• 3.3 - We enhance the vibrancy and livability of our downtown

3.1 - We strive for a well-designed city through proactive planning

Today

• We have well established planning practices
• We have long-term plans for future growth 
• We have well defined planning standards 
• The market provides a variety of housing options in Lethbridge 
• Planning in newer areas encourages diverse housing choices 
• We collaborate with industry partners 

• Development standards and processes are based on different time periods 
• Gaps in neighborhood connectivity 
• Managing growth expectations of private sector interests 
• Accommodating neighbourhood renewal initiatives within established neighbourhoods 
• Housing access and affordability remains challenging for some residents 

And so City Council will:

1. Create attractive parks, plazas and streets that foster community interaction 
2. Establish a strategic approach to neighbourhood renewal that balances neighbourhood vision with infrastructure renewal 
3. Proactively ensure land-use rules and processes continue to reflect the evolving community 
4. Direct changes to the Land Use Bylaw to support diverse housing types 
5. Ensure development processes are streamlined 
6. Examine international initiatives for sustainability and livability standards that address diverse needs 
7. Continue to seek federal and provincial support for affordable, accessible housing 
8. Create policies and design standards to ensure physical access to all city facilities and public spaces

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3.2 - We are pursuing a more balanced approach to urban transportation options that includes pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users

Today 

• We have increased investment in public transit by purchasing new buses and by expanding routes to include most areas of the city 
• We have defined service levels for public transit 
• We offer public transit that is mobility accessible 
• We have a stable customer base for public transit 
• We have an extensive off-road pathway system that accommodates recreational cyclists 

• The public transit system design is not customer-centric 
• Council needs to gain understanding of the barriers to public transit use 
• Public transit may be unaffordable for some residents with differing needs 

1. Evaluate the efficiency of the public transit system to balance funding between users and taxpayers 
2. Examine public transit service levels and route designs 
3. Consider strategies that better accommodate commuter cyclists 

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3.3 - We enhance the vibrancy and livability of our downtown

Today 

• We have a foundation of planning for the downtown (Heart of Our City Master Plan) 
• We have an active and engaged downtown community 
• Key decisions and investments have been made in downtown 
• Galt Gardens
• CASA 
• Station #1 Fire Headquarters
• Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) 
  
• Public art 
• Initiative to streetscape 3rd Avenue downtown
• Downtown is clean and safe 

• Still a perception of an unsafe environment 
• Competition of suburban market forces 
• Age of infrastructure and buildings
  
• Perception of parking scarcity
  

And so City Council will:

1. Make decisions that identify downtown as a “people” place
   
2. Work with developers to increase the residential component of the downtown 
• Explore incentives to housing development 
• Remove barriers to downtown activities through bylaw and policy review
  
3. Support strategies that encourage more diverse ways to access and move in downtown 
4. Encourage more festivals and events making maximum use of public spaces
   
5. Support projects that would attract and keep people downtown
   
6. Review the Civic Square Plan in response to facility renewal that is currently underway
   
7. Review downtown boundaries
   
8. Encourage private investment and promote a corporate culture that does the same  

Take Me To

• City Council Strategic Plan Introduction
• Strategic Goal #1
  
• Strategic Goal #2
  
• Strategic Goal #4
  
• Strategic Goal #5
• Strategic Goal #6