Okotoks Uses Ethelo to Bring New Life to Land-Use Planning

Land-use planning is rarely a topic that excites the public. Yet it’s crucial for local governments to understand residents’ preferences to shape communities in ways that serve everyone for years to come.

The Town of Okotoks, Alberta, found a way to breathe new life into its land-use planning process by using Ethelo. This innovative platform helped the town collect valuable qualitative and quantitative data while giving residents an accessible and engaging way to share their input on the types of homes and businesses they wanted in their community.

The Challenge

The Town of Okotoks’ Land Use Bylaw, which regulates the use and development of all land and buildings in the town, had not been updated since the 1990s. It didn’t account for new types of businesses, such as retail cannabis stores, and other modern development trends. Yet many residents were unaware of its existence or its significance in shaping their neighborhoods.

Okotoks officials needed an innovative way to engage residents on this often-complex subject, ensuring public input would guide the bylaw rewrite. The goal was to make land-use planning accessible, meaningful, and relevant to the community.

Why Ethelo?

Okotoks chose Ethelo because it offered a user-friendly platform for public consultation, capable of gathering meaningful insights while making the process transparent and interactive. The town had previously used Ethelo for consultations on its Environmental Master Plan and Municipal Development Plan, with positive results. Officials appreciated how Ethelo combined data collection and engagement to ensure broad participation.

“We are always looking for new ways to engage our residents,” said Andrea Charlebois, Communications Specialist for Okotoks. “Ethelo gave us a tool to capture residents’ vision for what they want their community to be.”

The Process

The consultation was live on Ethelo from January 20 to February 14, 2019. During this time, residents and business owners were asked to provide feedback on specific aspects of land use in two areas: the Downtown Commercial and South Business Industrial Districts. Key topics included:

1. Proposed Land-Use Changes:

   • Allowing new uses like amusement arcades and retail cannabis stores.

   • Reclassifying some uses from “Permitted” to “Discretionary” (or vice versa) to better reflect community needs.

2. Parking Requirements:

   • Introducing more flexible parking requirements tailored to specific business types.

3. Setbacks:

   • Reducing the minimum setback for business frontage in certain areas, allowing buildings to align closer to sidewalks and create a more pedestrian-friendly environment.

Residents could view real-time support for each option, interact with others in comment sections, and provide additional feedback on land-use issues. This interactive format not only encouraged participation but also ensured residents had the background information needed to make informed decisions.

Background and Approach

The town’s previous success with Ethelo gave officials confidence that the platform could make land-use planning accessible and engaging. It also ensured that public input would be collected efficiently, avoiding the logistical challenges of large in-person events.

Charlebois emphasized the importance of this approach:
“We really heard a wide variety of things from the community about how people want their neighborhoods to work. We were surprised by some of the things people weren’t aware of. When you work in this area, you know these details, but they can be hard for the general public to understand.”

Results and Insights

A total of 286 people participated in the online consultation, with Ethelo’s algorithm analyzing the results to identify areas of consensus. Additionally, 183 residents shared input at in-person events and workshops, ensuring a robust dataset.

Key findings included:

• Preferred Amenities:

  • 71% of participants wanted parks or green spaces within a 10-minute walk of their homes.

  • 51% preferred coffee shops, while 44% prioritized restaurants.

• Business Preferences:

  • Market-style retail businesses garnered the highest support, with 80% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing they were desirable.

Ethelo’s ability to combine qualitative and quantitative data provided Okotoks with a clear and actionable roadmap. Officials could see not just what residents supported, but the reasoning behind their preferences, giving them deeper insight into community priorities.

Charlebois highlighted the platform’s effectiveness:
“Ethelo is a helpful tool as it easily captures both qualitative and quantitative data. We were able to show residents what the future could be and find out what that means to them.”

Lessons Learned

While the consultation was successful, the team identified areas for improvement. For example, they noted that reducing the number of questions and screens could improve the completion rate for future consultations. Despite these minor challenges, the overall process provided clear, valuable insights for the town’s ongoing planning efforts.

Next Steps

The results of the consultation will inform Okotoks’ ongoing research and contribute to drafting a revised Land Use Bylaw. The town plans to share a draft policy direction with the community in fall 2020, incorporating the feedback gathered during this process.

By using Ethelo, Okotoks transformed a traditionally dry topic into an engaging and informative experience for residents. The platform not only facilitated meaningful participation but also provided town officials with the insights needed to create a bylaw that reflects the community’s vision for the future.