More about the Promenade Centre Public Realm Framework and Urban Design Guidelines Study

The City’s Promenade Centre Public Realm Framework and Urban Design Guidelines Study is underway. Now in its final phase, this plan will build from the foundation established in the approved Promenade Centre Secondary Plan (2022) to create public spaces that are people-first and focus on safety, comfort, livability and sustainability for all residents, employees and visitors to the Promenade Centre. The guidelines in this study will help City staff implement the vision – including how streets are designed, how open spaces will look, the architecture of new buildings and so much more.

Once complete, Promenade Centre Public Realm Framework and Urban Design Guidelines Study will:

• create a design framework and guideline for public spaces within the area to ensure future developments are equipped to maintain the vision and principles established in the Promenade Secondary Plan.
• develop a strategy to guide and co-ordinate the future incremental public and private sector development.

Promenade Centre Study Area

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Public Realm Vision

The Promenade Centre is identified as a place for growth and will evolve as a distinct urban centre. It will maintain and enhance its role as an important place for people to gather, socialize, shop, work, learn and live.

The area will feature a network of complete streets for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists, that provides easy access to rapid transit services. These streets, together with a network of parks, indoor and outdoor open spaces and gathering places, will be vibrant, safe and accessible for the needs of a multi-generational community. New development within the area will be sustainable and provide for a mix of retail, entertainment, community and office uses, as well as a variety of housing types.

Public Realm Principles

The following Public Realm Principles build upon the Guiding Principles in the Promenade Centre Secondary Plan:

1. High Quality Open Spaces and Connections – create a distinct look and feel that promotes a walkable, sustainable, and complete community
2. A Safe and Comfortable Public Realm - provide calm and comfortable places to gather and rest at all times of day and during all seasons of the year
3. A Complementary Indoor-Outdoor Interface - create a gradient of active and lively public spaces from plazas to pedestrianized streets
4. Diverse Places, Big and Small - include a variety of open space types, from forested parks and green community spaces to civic plazas and active streets.
5. Healthy People, Healthy Land – encourage education, stewardship, and connection with the land and its flora and fauna.

These principles will guide the development of public spaces in a people-first way, focusing on safety, comfort, livability, and sustainability for all residents, workers and visitors to the area.