Open Space Plan STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS USED: CYP Cycle Plan DP A Policy on Dry Ponds BIA Biophysical Impact Assessment ECS Employment Centres Strategy, ER Environmental Reserve The City of Calgary ESAs Environmentally Significant Areas EPEA Environmental Protection and FAC Final Acceptance Certificate Enhancement Act JUCC Joint Use Coordinating Committee GRAMP Growth Area Management Plan, LRT Light Rail Transit The City of Calgary MR Municipal Reserve ICOSS Inner City Open Space Study, Parks MSR Municipal School Reserve JUA Joint Use Agreement PE Public Park, School and MGA Municipal Government Act Recreation District NAMP Natural Area Management Plan PUL Public Utility Lot OSP Open Space Plan UDI Urban Development Institute P&P Policies and Priorities, Parks PB Calgary Pathway & Bikeway Plan PLU Provincial Land Use Policy ABBREVIATIONS TO REFERENCE POP Pulse on Parks, Parks DOCUMENTS ARE LOCATED RVP River Valleys Plan, The City of Calgary THROUGHOUT THE PLAN IN SER State of the Environment Report, PARENTHESES. The City of Calgary SOER State of the Environment Report BP Business Plan, Parks SSS Sustainable Suburbs Study CBP Corporate Business Plan, SWL A Policy on Stormwater Lakes The City of Calgary TR-97 Technical Report: CE Calgary's Entranceways Protecting Calgary's ESAs CEP Calgary Environment Policy UFMP Urban Forestry Management Plan CP Calgary Plan, The City of Calgary UPMP Urban Park Master Plan CTP Calgary Transportation Plan (GoPlan)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Project Management Layout Coordination Elizabeth Dewart Susan Chow Anne Charlton Editor Dennis LaFreniere Philippa Fairbairn Issue Identification & Research Design and Production Greg Shymanski Creative Resources Catherine Cieply

ADOPTED BY COUNCIL - JULY 22, 2002 AMENDED BY COUNCIL - MARCH 3, 2003 Table of Contents

Document Abbreviations ...... Inside front cover Open Space Plan Implementation ...... 68 Introduction ...... 3 A.Proposed Related Policy Work ...... 68 Vision Statement ...... 4 B. Planning Processes ...... 71 Purpose and Scope ...... 6 C.Financing Partnerships ...... 73 Trends ...... 9 D.Monitoring and Updating the Open Space Plan . .73 Community Needs Assessment ...... 11 Appendices ...... 74 Open Space Functions & Benefits ...... 13 Appendix A: Other Policies and Plans ...... 75 General Open Space Principles ...... 15 Appendix B: Sports Fields Management Plan ...... 78 Open Space Land Use Policies ...... 20 Appendix C: Environmental Assessments ...... 79 A.Pathways ...... 20 Appendix D: Biophysical Impact Assessments ...... 82 B. Recreational Open Space ...... 22 Appendix E: Identifying and Delineating a Wetland . . .86 1. Inner City ...... 24 Appendix F: Wetland Evaluation 2. Established Suburbs ...... 25 and Development Assessment ...... 88 3. New Communities ...... 26 Appendix G: Urban Forestry Management Plan ...... 90 Sub-neighbourhood Parks ...... 27 Appendix H: Interdepartmental Tree Committee . . . . .91 Neighbourhood Parks ...... 27 Appendix I: Guidelines for "MR Trading" ...... 93 Community Parks ...... 28 Glossary of Terms ...... 94 1 District Parks ...... 28 Bibliography ...... 101 Linear Parks ...... 28 List of Maps ...... 103 4. Sports Fields ...... 29 1. Major Open Space System—Conceptual 5. Regional and City-wide Recreation Parks . . . . .31 2. Topographic Map 6. Building Sites ...... 34 3. Regional Pathway Map 7. Golf Courses ...... 35 4. Open Space Policy Areas 8. Cemeteries ...... 36 5. Sports Fields 9. Special Attractions ...... 36 6. Building Sites 10.Cultural Landscapes ...... 36 7. Specialized Sites C. Environmental Open Space ...... 39 8. Habitat Types 1. General Environmental Open Space Policies . . .39 9.a Intermunicipal Open Space—Calgary and M.D. 2. The River Valley System ...... 40 of Rocky View 3. Natural Environment Parks and Environmentally 9.b Intermunicipal Open Space—Calgary and M.D. Significant Areas ...... 43 of Foothills 4. The Urban Forest ...... 46 D.Intermunicipal Open Space ...... 49 E. Alternative Use Open Space ...... 54 1. Employme