The North Saskatchewan River Valley Area Redevelopment Plan (River Valley ARP) identifies the boundary of the North Saskatchewan River Valley and Ravine System and provides a set of policies and development approval procedures for lands within it.
The River Valley ARP, Bylaw 20996 replaces the North Saskatchewan River Valley Area Redevelopment Plan, Bylaw 7188 (1985). For more information regarding plan renewal, visit River Valley Planning Modernization.
In response to new policies within the River Valley ARP, changes to the River Valley ARP project review process will take effect beginning October 27, 2025. Updated guides, templates, and terms of reference will be made available directly to affected project proponents during the transition period of October 27, 2025 to November 17, 2025.
Strategic and Environmental Assessment Review Process
Prior to submitting your project for review, please refer to City of Edmonton maps (Plan in Effect Areas - Area Redevelopment Plan) to confirm if your project is within the boundary of the North Saskatchewan River Valley ARP.
Note when using the mapping tool, select the "Area Redevelopment Plan" toggle under the "Plans in Effect Areas" section of the legend to show all redevelopment areas in the City. You will have to select the North Saskatchewan River to highlight the River Valley ARP boundary.
Once confirmed that your project is within the boundary of the River Valley ARP, refer to the Strategic Assessment and Environmental Assessment Review: Process Overview to identify if your project falls within the scope of a Simple or Complex review, and what information requirements will apply.
If you are not sure what type of review applies to your project, submit the Simple Strategic Assessment and Environmental Assessment Form in Step 3. Following initial review by the Open Space Strategy team, you will be notified of any additional information and reporting requirements.
Submit your project for review by uploading your completed Simple Strategic Assessment and Environmental Assessment Form (please download and open as a PDF prior to filling in the form), or your Complex Strategic Assessment and/or Complex Environmental Assessment reports down below.
Please see the Terms of Reference for the Complex Strategic Assessment and the Complex Environmental Assessment for guidance on what is to be included in the reports.
Additional Information
Projects located on parkland are defined within the Public Spaces Bylaw.
Applications for a Parkland Access Permit can be found at Parkland Use and Permits. Note that reviews in accordance with both the Public Spaces Bylaw and the River Valley ARP may be required for a single project. When both are required, the River Valley ARP review should be initiated first as River Valley ARP sign-off needs to be provided prior to a Parkland Access Permit being issued. However, both can be reviewed at the same time.
Project Review Submission
The review time for the combined Simple Strategic Assessment and Environmental assessment is typically four weeks. The review time for Complex Strategic Assessment and Environmental assessment varies more depending on project complexity and if City Council approval is required, but is up to approximately six months.