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 Strategic Plan (2025) (61.44 MB) provides the strategic direction for how the City of Edmonton will protect, develop, program, and manage its lands in the River Valley and Ravine System, including our overall vision for the future of the River Valley, our high-level plans for the connected open spaces within it, and the policy that guides our decisions about what happens in that space.
The North Saskatchewan River Valley Area Redevelopment Plan (2025) (31.84 MB) formally sets aside the River Valley for environmental protection and use as parkland, and identifies key regulations guiding how proposals for River Valley development are evaluated.