Planning in Edmonton's River Valley and Ravine System is guided by a series of planning documents that inform and direct the preservation, development, and use of these lands. Four key documents inform what is done in the River Valley.
Edmonton's City Plan provides a comprehensive framework to guide the City's development. The City Plan provides strategic direction for the way Edmonton grows, its mobility systems, open spaces, employment and social networks, generally touching on most aspects of life in Edmonton. The City's existing 'Green and Blue Network' of parks, rivers, and other open spaces provides places to recreate, celebrate and recharge. Preserving these networks is essential to maintaining the way of life for the City’s residents.
Breathe, Edmonton's Green Network Strategy, directs the planning and assessment of the City's open spaces, recognizing the diverse ways in which parks and other publicly-accessible open spaces make functional contributions to the city and its residents. Three overarching themes of Ecology, Celebration, and Wellness provide a lens with which to assess and communicate the values of open space across Edmonton.
The Ribbon of Green Plan, originally approved by Council in 1992, provides a planning framework for open space development in the River Valley. While the Ribbon of Green was recently expanded to include lands in southwest and northeast Edmonton, the lands within the original scope of the Ribbon of Green are due for a reassessment to ensure that recommendations and strategies for this area are aligned with the City's changing policy framework.
(River Valley ARP) was approved as a statutory plan by Council in 1985, and provides the tools and decision-making framework to guide development in the River Valley. Through the course of this project these tools and frameworks will be refined and updated to align with the requirements of the higher-level City Planning Framework.