Our Vision
A Master Planned Neighbourhood
Over the last decade, there has been a significant amount of discussion around the "rebirth" of historically designed neighbourhoods. Often these neighbourhoods focused around a town square within a short walk, and offered a mix of services that met many of the daily needs of the residents.
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By having a wide variety of residential and retail opportunities within these neighbourhoods, people tended to walk more and community was created through international connections and chance meetings throughout the day, residents knew their neighbours, looked out for them, and supported each other. These types of neighbourhoods show us that a wide range of housing types and densities can, and must include a variety of housing options, such as for singles, new families, empty nesters and the elderly, all supporting each other in close proximity.
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It is our deep conviction to learn from these historic precedents and create a new neighbourhood within Fort St. John that interprets these development patterns within a vision that respects the vitality of this unique landscape.
Objectives
Create a complete and comprehensively planned neighbourhood, focused on the natural areas and open space for Fish Creek Coulee.
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Develop a neighbourhood with exceptional design standards, offering a range of housing opportunities, facilities and services that will foster a high quality of life, in keeping with residential, commercial, environmental and sustainability policies of this plan.
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Develop a neighbourhood with a mix of residential densities and unit types that will serve a broad spectrum of Fort St. John's projected housing needs.
Provide a range of neighbourhood commercial and service uses to support the day to day needs of local residents, and create local employment opportunities.
Land Use Description
A Master Planned Neighbourhood
The Parkwood Neighbourhood concept was developed with significant consideration of the site’s natural features and unique characteristics of the area. While the terrain and ecological features of the property lends itself to an array of development opportunities, it is important to ensure key natural features are preserved, and that developed areas are designed to integrate with passive recreational amenities and green space.
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At its maturity, Parkwood is envisioned to flourish into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood with approximately 6,000 residential units, complimented by commercial retail services, institutional uses, and park spaces. Well-designed density is vital to a strong economic foundation in any neighbourhood as it brings a critical mass of local employees and customers to support a variety of community needs. Therefore, a sustainable community should offer many ecologically responsible opportunities for investment, businesses, and employment that will, in turn, support an economically diverse and prosperous community.
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The land-use concept identifies the types and approximate locations of the proposed Parkwood land-use mix, which is divided into seven broad categories: low, medium, and high density residential, commercial, institutional, and public parks, and private green space
Our Principles
Community Building Fundamentals
Putting the health and well-being of residents and neighbours front and center by creating a walk-able, cycling friendly, socially connected neighbourhood where citizens can gather, find fresh food, places to play and create, and can easily gain access to a commercial village centre and the broader city amenities.
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Creating a versatile mix of land-uses and densities that are economically viable and enduring in the local economy.
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Encouraging a unique architectural form and character that respects the public realm, view, corridors, and existing single-family residential form and character.
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Enhancing the protection and preservation of the site’s natural features.
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Supporting an active residential population through accessible pedestrian-oriented streets, connective trail networks that celebrate biodiversity, and high-quality parks that offer natural places of respite and calm.
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Demonstrating the importance of sustainability through building design, public realm design, transportation and mobility and servicing choices.
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Designing a neighbourhood that will adapt throughout all four seasons (e.g. winter city design).
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Valuing a community that welcomes and supports a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, and cultures through a diversity of housing, activities and commercial amenities.
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Providing a wide variety of housing opportunities, tenures, and sizes, to ensure that a wide range of options are available to serve local demand.
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Planning for community facilities that are available to all Fort St. John residents.
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Promoting architecture and landscapes that offers inspiring and sustainable places for those who live, work, and visit.
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Crafting identifiable neighbourhood architectural character through the design of homes and commercial buildings that are reflective of our neighbourhood values.
Focus Areas
The Parkwood Amendment Area has been developed within the comprehensive vision for the community by integrating parks, open space, clustered residential neighbourhoods, and dynamic mixed-use residential/commercial areas.
Each neighbourhood Focus Area is conceptually divided into three strategic Focus Areas:
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1) The Northlands Neighbourhood: “The Meadow Highlands;”
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2) The Fish Creek Coulee Parkland; and
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3) The Southlands Neighbourhood: “The Village Meadow.”
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The Village Meadow
Located south of Fish Creek is the more densely populated Village Meadow neighbourhood. Village Meadow is intended to be the social and economic heart of the community and will provide the broadest mix of residential housing options and densities along with complimentary Commercial and Institutional uses.
Our intent is to focus the Southlands area around our Village Centre and specifically our Village Square space. The Village Centre area will be the heart of the entire Community, bringing together a lively mix of residential, commercial, and recreational activity.
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A diversity of housing in the Southlands neighbourhood will be offered, and will include seniors facilities, micro-units, town-homes, and apartments. Additionally, we will encourage the development of a new City-wide recreation centre to meet the expanding needs of the broader City.
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We have created three principal road access points to this neighborhood including a new Alaska Highway entrance, extension of 111th Avenue, and a new 105th Avenue intersection (Parkwood Drive) connecting with the adjacent neighbourhood grid road.
Parkwood Coulee
The Parkwood Coulee will be the centralized anchor of the diverse and active Parkwood neighbourhood. This natural amenity forms both the focal point for both sides of the neighborhood and acts as a natural bridge between these two distinct areas.
Steeper sloped areas along Fish Creek have been utilized to create a buffer between individual neighbourhood pockets, and combine to form the basis for a system of recreation and preservation corridors. These corridors will provide open space and trail opportunities for neighbourhood residents as well as preserving habitat areas.
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We have planned for a significant amount of the Coulee to be dedicated to the City to ensure that public access is preserved in perpetuity. It is our desire to see a continuation of the City’s Bypass Trail network within the coulee to provide connections with adjoining trails and neighbourhoods.
The remaining Coulee area will be preserved as a privately owned park and developed to a high standard with passive recreational amenities appropriate to the needs of the neighbourhood residents.