Located north of Yankee Boulevard in Airdrie, Alberta, the Spring Valley asset is comprised of 5 contiguous quarter sections (approx 800ac). In January of 2013, a group of developers, builders, designers, planners and engineers gathered to consider the development opportunity of Spring Valley. The sessions they attended were charrette working sessions. The group worked with a full understanding of The City’s policies, the constraints and opportunities impacting the site and the community. The objective was to establish design principles and prepare a development vision based on these principles guided by The City’s objectives for the future of new development. The following deliverables were set as key design considerations for future planning work:
Selling both lifestyle and density
Creating the “there” in there – community identity
Variety of housing typologies – multi-generational
Connectivity – transit, vehicles and pedestrians
Streets designed for cars and pedestrians – safe passages to schools
Way-finding – spatial recognition, directional, interpretive, regulatory
Gathering spaces for different functions and programmed activities
Buildings that define the public realm and create human scale
Ability to maximize value and flexibility through phasing
Unique selling proposition through differentiation
The 5 minute walk neighbourhood – “pedestrian sheds”
Corridors forming boundaries between neighbourhood (hedgerows)
Connect neighbourhoods with larger thoroughfares
Street pattern conceived as a network
Small blocks the key to walkable place
Concentration of civic and commercial activities
Range of open spaces from tot-lots, athletic fields to commons and green
Housing that offers a diversity of sizes and style
Reduce the need for parking by increasing walkability
Sustainability – environmental protection and energy consumption
Source: HLM
