Jericho Lands planning program

The Jericho Land planning team will be presenting a Report to Council on Wednesday, June 23, at Council’s Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities. The purpose of presenting to Council is to update them on the Jericho Lands planning process to date and seek their endorsement of the draft Guiding Principles and Emerging Site Planning Ideas.

Read the Council Agenda for Wednesday, June 23

Read the Report to Council

While staff are seeking endorsement of the draft Guiding Principles and the Emerging Site Planning Ideas, they are proposed to remain in draft form until the Jericho Lands Policy Statement is completed. This allows for further refinement as new information is learned and feedback received. The purpose of seeking Council endorsement of the draft Guiding Principles and Emerging Ideas is to confirm these early ideas, which establish the foundations for site planning, as we move into Phase 3, concept plan development.

We have developed a series of Emerging Site Planning Ideas for the Jericho Lands. These ideas are based on the community feedback we received during Phase 1 and early stages of Phase 2 of the planning process, stakeholder priorities, City objectives and policies, and the landowners’ aspirations. The Emerging Site Planning Ideas are intended to provide input into the development of a preliminary site concept for the lands.

Learn more about the Emerging Site Planning Ideas

You can learn more about the Emerging Site Planning Ideas by reading the Discussion Guides. There are five guides in total (including a primer document). Each one is focused on a specific topic area and identifies a series of Emerging Ideas that are associated with that topic.

• Discussion Guides Primer (Click here to read)
  • Natural Systems and Open Space (Click here to read)
  • Connections and Mobility (Click here to read)
  • Inclusive Neighbourhood (Click here to read)
  • Sustainability and Resilience (Click here to read)

Between March 29, 2021 and April 25, 2021, we asked for your feedback on the Emerging Site Planning Ideas through four separate surveys. Each survey focused on the Emerging Site Planning Ideas relating to one of the topic areas. Thank you to everyone that provided their input. Staff will review and analyse the responses and use the feedback to refine the Emerging Ideas and develop a preliminary site concept.

In mid-April, we co-hosted a series of eight themed virtual Design Workshops with the joint venture partnership of the MST Partnership and CLC. The workshops were an opportunity to discuss and refine the Emerging Site Planning Ideas. These workshops focused on the four Discussion Guide topic areas, which include:

• Natural Systems and Open Space
• Connections and Mobility
• Inclusive Neighbourhood
• Sustainability and Resilience

The workshops consisted of a presentation, followed by small facilitated group discussions, and a brief report out session. They were an opportunity for participants to learn about the Emerging Site Planning Ideas, discuss with other attendees, and share thoughts and ideas with City staff and the landowners’ design team.

We also co-hosted Kick-Off and Wrap-Up events bookending the eight workshops. These events were used to introduce the workshops and the process, as well as provide an opportunity for a high-level report out of the week’s findings.

Both the workshops and the events were recorded. You can watch videos of each of the workshop presentations and report out sessions, as well as the entire Kick-Off and Wrap-Up events, in our video section.

Watch the workshops and events here.

The landowners’ design team has been working with staff over the past few months to build an understanding of the Jericho Lands and its surroundings. A summary of this understanding is presented in the Site Analysis panels (previously referred to as ‘topic explorations’). This analysis provides a high-level overview of the Jericho Lands site as it is today, and will serve as a foundation for more detailed policy development and design work that is to come. The Site Analysis panels also highlight what we’ve heard from the community so far, as well as relevant City policies.

Read the site analysis panels.

Between Wednesday, February 17, 2021 and Saturday, March 12, 2021 we hosted a survey to allow you to share your thoughts on the Site Analysis panels. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback. Your comments will proved further insight as we expand our understanding of the site and work to develop a series of Emerging Site Planning Ideas and a preliminary site concept in the coming months.

The survey on the draft Guiding Principles closed on September 25, 2020. Staff will now review and analyse the responses received and will report out on the findings this Fall.

Thank you to everyone that shared your thoughts. Your feedback will be used to finalise the Guiding Principles. Once complete, they will be included in the Jericho Lands Policy Statement where they will help shape the future development of the site.

In the coming months, we will be working with the landowners’ design team to develop and share a series of topic explorations. The topic explorations are a summary of the design teams understanding of the Jericho Lands. They will provide an important input into public engagement activities provisionally scheduled for the fall 2020 and the development of an early site concept. To initiate this process we are sharing a set of information boards that introduce the design team and their process over the coming months.

Read the information boards.

Further information on the topic explorations will be shared on the Shape Your City platform in the coming months. Opportunities will be provided for you to give your feedback on the materials as they are shared.

In light of recent physical distancing measures and the city wide suspension of in-person public engagement events, we are looking at alternative ways to keep you engaged with the process and informed of project updates.

We recently shared a community newsletter that includes background project information, a high-level summary of what we have heard to date, a copy of the draft guiding principles, an introduction to the landowners’ design team and cultural liaisons, and project next steps.

Read the Jericho Lands community newsletter.

Phase 1 of the Jericho Lands planning program was an information gathering phase. It was an opportunity for us to listen to your ideas, concerns and aspirations, while learning about key issues and opportunities for the future Jericho Lands.

Our team has summarized the feedback we received during this time. The Phase 1 public engagement summary includes information on the process to date and a detailed summary of what we have heard so far.

Read the Phase 1 public engagement summary.

On November 12, 2019, we co-hosted an Inspire Jericho Talk on the topic of Urban Resilience at the Granville Island Stage. Keynote speaker Magnus Schön brought examples of urban developments and approaches that combine landscape and architecture in support of a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.

In the fall 2019, a 24-member working group was established as part of the Jericho Lands planning process. The working group members represent a range of local community and broader city-wide perspectives. The purpose of the working group is to provide input to City staff during the creation of the Jericho Lands Policy Statement.

Read the Working Group terms of reference.

Roles of the group

The duties and responsibilities of the Jericho Lands Working Group include:

• Reflect the City’s goals as a City of Reconciliation and support reconciliation as part of the Jericho Lands planning process
• Apply existing City policies in formulating recommendations for the Jericho Lands Policy Statement
• Advise on the public engagement process
• Encourage the ongoing education and contribution of community interests and perspectives to the planning and design of land use, transportation, public realm, and community amenities
• Provide feedback to City staff at key points in the planning process, including during the creation and evaluation of land use concepts and the draft Jericho Lands Policy Statement

Membership in the working group is on a voluntary basis. Working group member activities are assumed to include meetings, reading/learning/review of information and materials, and representation at planning process events.

Membership list

Co-Chairs

Larry Benge and Murray Hendren

Vice Chair

Lies Botman

Members

Clarissa Antone

Liam Brownrigg

Michelle Catlin

Katie de Carle

Yee Chan

Susan Fisher

Don Forsyth

Robert Fung

Frank Heinzelmann

Devon Hussack

Steve Irwin

Keta Kosman

Anne O’Sullivan

Melanie Roskell

Susan Rowley

Randy Sharp

MacKenzie Walker

Sheryl Webster

Carly Wenner