Update #3: Design Workshop and Next Steps (Webinar Cancelled)

Webinar Cancelled

The webinar scheduled for February 22 has been cancelled. The project team will answer your questions here on our Engage Whitehorse project page where we can reach more people, and answers will be visible to all. Our team is made up of a diverse group of urban planners, transportation and infrastructure engineers, environmental specialists, urban designers, and public engagement specialists who are ready to answer all kinds of questions you might have.

Future engagement events will be posted on this page as well – you’re in the right place!

Design Workshop

The landowners within the study area and representatives from the Valleyview and Hillcrest neighbourhood associations held a 3-day design workshop in January 2023. Informed by the What We Heard Report from the December 2022 survey, the Design Brief, and a draft background report (to be released publicly shortly), the City’s consultant led the group through various exercises to create two draft land use concepts (see some photos of the workshop here).

The group of private, public, and First Nation landowners and neighbourhood association representatives worked well together. Issues, risks and opportunities for collaboration were identified and some hard ‘elephant-in-the-room’ type discussions were had.

The outcome of the workshop was two draft land use concepts that participants deemed potentially feasible and able to achieve both landowner and public interests. The project team is fact-checking and working to visually articulate the land use concepts before they are released to the public for input.

Next Step: Polishing and Analyzing the Two Land Use Concepts

The two rough draft land use concepts are now being refined. There are still some technical issues that need to be resolved to ensure the concepts we bring to the public can be realized. In addition, the consultant team is analyzing the two concepts in order to provide additional information for the public to consider when reviewing the land use concepts. The team will assess the land use, infrastructure, remediation, financial, and transportation implications. This information will be available to the public when we engage on the two land use concepts.

Future Engagement Opportunity: Spring 2023

Once the land use concepts have been refined and the analysis completed, we will engage with stakeholders and the public at large. We will be looking to hear what you like and don’t like about the options. This input will inform a final preferred land use concept that City staff will bring to Council for their endorsement.