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Citizen Panel

Citizen Panel Pilot Has Concluded

The Edmonton Citizen Panel, a pilot project between the City of Edmonton and the University of Alberta to gain Edmontonians' input into city spending priorities, has concluded.

The 2009 Citizen Panel's Recommendations to Edmonton City Council, 2010-11 Budget Priorities was presented to City Council July 22, 2009.

Council accepted the recommendations of the 2009 Citizens Panel and committed to bear them in mind during the 2010 budgeting and planning processes.

City Council extended its thanks and appreciation to the citizen panel members for their contribution of time, energy and experience in this pilot project.

Goals of the Citizen Panel pilot project :

• Recommend how the city can invest its resources to create the city that citizens want
• Determine how useful the Citizen Panel process is for gaining informed citizen opinion

City Council is the final decision maker on budget priorities.

A final report based on a total evaluation of the Citizen Panel pilot is expected to be completed early in the new year. That report will be posted on this website.

Background

The Edmonton Citizen Panel brought together 49 randomly recruited Edmontonians who met over six Saturdays this spring to learn about and discuss City spending priorities

The City was responsible for content and the University of Alberta was responsible for the citizen panel process and writing the final report
The 2009 Citizen Panel's Recommendations to Edmonton City Council  2010-2011 Budget Priorities

The Citizen Panel extends the City's commitment to involving people in setting spending priorities. Edmontonians can continue to add their views and their voice to Edmonton's spending priorities through:

• Annual Citizen Satisfaction Survey
• Citizen calls, letters and emails to the Mayor and City Councillors
• Public hearing process during the annual fall budget deliberations 

Citizen Panel recommendations:

1. Continue to increase the density of our City through long-term planning.

• Our city's long-term planning must focus on increasing density if we are to enjoy the benefits of a greener, more walkable city.
• Design principles must ensure a balance between public green space and density, as well as the safety and wellbeing of citizens.
• Methods can include infill, commercial and industrial conversion projects,  and repurposing "brownfield" sites and basements.
• Divergence of opinion on density should not prevent action.
  

2. Ensure that our transportation system emphasizes the convenience of users and the uniqueness of Edmonton’s climate

.

• Increase convenience for transit users so that more citizens will choose to use public transportation.
• Take more account of our northern climate when planning transit.
• Plan so that citizens can choose among varied transportation modes, including walking, biking, driving, car pooling and transit. Provide easy access to and transition among these various transportation modes including walking, biking, driving, car pooling and transit.
• Allow disincentives as well as incentives to improve our transportation system.

3. Use environmental and economic sustainability as the basis of policy decisions aimed at livability.

• When making key decisions, consider environmental sustainability and economic sustainability as equally important, because both contribute to livability.
• Encourage arts and culture as a means of increasing livability.

4. Use proactive and preventive methods to reduce crime and increase safety, such as early intervention and gender-specific initiatives.

• Engage communities as the key method for creating a safe city.
• Use planning and design to avoid isolating individuals and groups.
• Create gender-specific safety initiatives.

Next Steps:

• Administration will report back to Council in January 2010 on the final evaluation of the pilot project
• The Working Team will report back to the Citizen Panel in January 2010 on how their recommendations were considered during the 2010 Budget process

For more information:

Citizen Panel