First steps for developing a new community

By Carmen Wyton
July 17, 2018

Communities seem to pop up out of nowhere all the time, but there is a lot of planning and work we often can’t see that goes into making a new and exciting community. Let’s break it down.

Get that land


Land developers purchase land but it’s up to the municipality to decide where and when new communities can be built, which means land can stand idle for years before it becomes a community.

And then come the initial studies and concept plans. These provide a very broad picture of what a development will look like for the region while taking natural features such as wetlands into consideration. Once these studies are complete, it’s time to plan!

Plan, plan, plan


First up is the Area Structure Plan (ASP), which looks at the specifics of a new community and is reviewed (and hopefully approved!) by municipal council. The plan includes details on:

  • Land use
  • Types of development
  • Recreational facilities and schools
  • Parks and open space
  • Essential services
  • Residential, retail and commercial space
  • Sequence of development

Next up are either Outline Plans or Neighbourhood Area Structure Plans, which provide details on how the community will look and where the houses, parks and commercial areas will go.

Thought the planning was over? Think again! The Tentative Plan dives even deeper – it breaks down the land into even smaller parcels, outlining the exact lots and where utilities such as telephone and cable lines will go.

And then we have the development agreement between the municipality and developer, which states what the developers will pay the municipality for in terms of the new infrastructure required to connect the new community with the rest of the municipality.

Once these planning stages are done, the digging can start.


Shovels hit the ground

Before homes start to go up, the essential infrastructure (or off-site improvements) need to be in place. These include services such as roads, water, sewer, electrical, paving and sidewalks. Once this is taken care of and the municipality approves, the developers can start releasing lots for sale and you can really imagine your future home.

As you can see, community development is a long, thought-out process that is all worthwhile when you get into a new home and community you love.

If you’re curious and want to explore the anatomy of a community, head to udiedmonton.com

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About Carmen Wyton

Carmen Wyton is the former CEO, Building Industry and Land Development Alberta Association (BILD Alberta), the unified voice for the land development, home building and renovation industry in Alberta.

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