Speaking Municipally

The new owners of Edmonton City Centre proposed strict security measures at each entrance of the downtown mall, and councillors endorsed changing the definition of public space. Plus, an American company has a vision to turn an industrial park in northeast Edmonton into one of the largest data centre campuses in North America.(00:00) - Introduction (02:43) - Ad: Edmonton Startup Week (04:11) - Public spaces bylaw review (10:37) - Defining public and private spaces (13:42) - City Centre security plans (20:03) - Northeast Edmonton data centre proposal (22:38) - Edmonton's industrial investment (25:59) - Horse Hill, sprawl and land speculation (28:47) - Data centre regulation and impacts (34:49) - Transit Royale proposal (40:57) - Close Here are the relevant links for this episode:Public spaces bylawCouncillors endorse changes to public spaces bylawCity reviews public spaces bylaw amid concerns it unfairly targets homeless residentsProposed public spaces bylaw amendments, including the definition of municipal public spaceParveen Parmar addresses councillors on bylaw fines (video)Edmonton City Centre50-storey towers, new security approach part of developer's plans for Edmonton City CentreCity Centre security discussion on InstagramData centresData centre campus proposed in northeast EdmontonEdmonton Energy and Technology Park AI data centre amendment — learn more and share feedback until Oct. 25Walton's proposed area structure plan amendment (PDF)Northeast Edmonton could become one of North America's largest data centre districtsMack's 2013 reflections on the Horse Hill area structure plan and sprawlTransit appExecutive committee agenda: ETS Transit App Single Source ProcurementCity report on the proposed Transit Royale and rider research agreementTransit Royale FAQ, including free community subscriptions for riders who cannot afford itSupport local newsBecome a Taproot Edmonton memberThis episode is brought to you by Edmonton Startup Week. From Oct. 5 to 9, founders, innovators, investors, students, and big thinkers will come together for workshops, panels, showcases, social gatherings, and more. The week includes a kickoff showcasing this year's top 10 companies and a farm-inspired "Coming Home" launch party at Edmonton Unlimited on Oct. 8. Pick sessions that match your interests, and leave room for something unexpected. Explore the full calendarSpeaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton. We deliver reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!Want to reach the smartest, most-engaged people in the Edmonton region? Learn more about advertising with Taproot Edmonton! ★ Support this podcast ★

Stephanie is back! We chat about some of the big and small municipal news you might have missed in the past month. Plus, we hear all about Stephanie's travels and her fresh reflections on cities and how Edmonton stacks up.(00:00) - Introduction (01:59) - Ad: Shadow Theatre (03:58) - Europe through an Edmonton lens (08:58) - Bike infrastructure (10:40) - Patios and pedestrian life (13:45) - Bridges (17:31) - Street-level trains and transit (21:46) - Ad: Wills Week (23:50) - Former mayors and downtown (30:01) - Downtown traffic and construction (36:02) - Referendum (37:15) - Pit Tour and close Here are the relevant links for this episode:Europe through an Edmonton lensOld Strathcona Public Realm StrategyCouncil decides against pause in patio feesPatios on Public SpaceMargaret Bridge refurbishment in BudapestHigh Level Bridge RehabilitationLow Level Bridge RehabilitationDowntown EdmontonFormer Edmonton mayors discuss downtown, homelessness, and the city budgetWarehouse Park and surrounding street constructionImagine Jasper AvenueReferendumReferendum information updates from Elections AlbertaReferendum mail-in ballot requests surpass 610,000Pit TourListen to the Pit Tour panelThis episode is brought to you by Shadow Theatre. Its 2026-27 season features four plays written by Canadians, with stories that are fearless, moving, and deeply human. New artistic director Lana Hughes has put together a season that reflects the country's humour, complexity, communities, and relationships. Subscribe todayThis episode is also brought to you by Edmonton Community Foundation, which presents Wills Week from Oct. 5 to 9. Whether you're creating your first will or updating an existing one, free online and in-person sessions offer clear, expert guidance on wills, executorship, and estate planning. Learn more about Wills WeekSpeaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton. We deliver reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!Want to reach the smartest, most-engaged people in the Edmonton region? Learn more about advertising with Taproot Edmonton! ★ Support this podcast ★

This week, heritage advocate Andy Grabia talks about the fight to keep the University of Alberta's Casavant organ in Convocation Hall. We also look at Edmonton's uneasy relationship with its heritage and, a decade after Rogers Place opened, revisit the arena debate and the fate of Rexall Place.(00:00) - Introduction (00:32) - Ad: Life Sciences Week (02:58) - Meet Andy Grabia (04:33) - The fight to save the U of A’s memorial organ (09:03) - A war memorial facing relocation (13:44) - What exactly are they trying to preserve? (17:53) - Can the province stop the move? (20:14) - The university’s rationale—and time running out (25:55) - Ad: Edmonton Startup Week (26:41) - The state of heritage in Edmonton (30:36) - What is worth preserving? (36:16) - Rogers Place, ten years later (39:18) - The arena’s economic impact and opportunity costs (45:14) - The fate of Rexall Place (47:06) - A call to action on heritage (50:06) - Close Here are the relevant links for this episode:Andy GrabiaUnite for the PipesWhy Downtown?Memorial organU of A response to the Summerby-Murray reportCommunity members raise concerns about new home for U of A organEdmonton heritageHeritage Places StrategyArchitecture bracket exposes history at riskCouncil moves to end seven advisory boardsRogers Place at 10The agreement to build Rogers PlaceDowntown Community Revitalization Levy projectsRogers Place celebrates its 10th anniversaryThis episode is brought to you by Life Sciences Week. From Sept. 21 to 25, industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, innovators, and students will come together for free, community-led events across Alberta. Explore cutting-edge breakthroughs, meet the people transforming bold ideas into real-world solutions, and help shape the future of Alberta's life sciences sector. Learn moreThis episode is also brought to you by Edmonton Startup Week. From Oct. 5 to 9, Edmonton's founders, innovators, investors, students, and big thinkers will come together to learn, connect, and build momentum. Step in for candid panels and lunch-and-learns, step up through hands-on workshops and mentorship, and step forward at community meetups, Startup Crawl, Launch Party, and more. Wherever you are in your startup journey, there's a next step waiting for you. Learn moreSpeaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton. We deliver reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!Want to reach the smartest, most-engaged people in the Edmonton region? Learn more about advertising with Taproot Edmonton! ★ Support this podcast ★

We speak with Mike Mellross of Alberta Ecotrust about Edmonton's updated climate priorities and the important decisions coming up during the four-year budget. We talk climate ambition, competing pots of funding, and why good city building might be climate action, too.(00:00) - Introduction (00:43) - Ad: LitFest (01:38) - Interview introduction (02:11) - Meet Mike Mellross and Alberta Ecotrust (06:10) - Why work through a climate charity? (10:16) - Edmonton's updated climate priorities (12:50) - Ambition and accountability (16:34) - Climate action and city building (18:50) - Competing pots of funding (20:59) - Two $5-million funding requests (27:16) - The Climate Innovation Fund (30:22) - A more formal city partnership (32:23) - Thinking regionally (33:22) - What to watch for in the budget (35:58) - Climate action in a long emergency (39:38) - Upcoming events and speaking up (42:08) - Final thoughts (43:15) - Close Here are the relevant links for this episode:Mike MellrossMike Mellross at Alberta EcotrustMike Mellross on LinkedInThe Long Emergency by James Howard KunstlerClimate priorities2027 Update - Climate Implementation Priorities: Council agenda and attachments2027 Update - Climate Implementation Priorities council reportCity to debate $114.58 million in climate mitigation actions in four-year budget talksReport finds top 3, bottom 3 priorities for Edmontonians ahead of budget talks2021: Countdown to 2050: Explaining Edmonton's carbon budget2024: Report suggests Edmonton's emissions are decreasing too slowlyAlberta EcotrustEmissions-Neutral Buildings Information Exchange (ENBIX)2026 Alberta Municipalities Convention & Trade ShowENBIX three-year anniversaryThis episode is brought to you by LitFest, Canada's original nonfiction festival, celebrating the power of true stories. From Oct. 14 to 18, downtown Edmonton becomes a creative hub for readers and writers. Discover your next favourite books and authors through readings, panel discussions, and workshops inspired by this year's theme: Nonfiction shows us who we are. Learn more and get ticketsSpeaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton. We deliver reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!Want to reach the smartest, most-engaged people in the Edmonton region? Learn more about advertising with Taproot Edmonton! ★ Support this podcast ★

We speak with Coun. Ashley Salvador and Aaron Budnick of the Edmonton Bike Coalition about Edmonton's slow bike-lane build-out and the province's threat to derail it. Plus, we hear about the confusing budget of it all and how funding decisions will determine where the network goes next.(00:00) - Introduction (00:51) - Ad: Skyline Rush Challenge (01:36) - Interview introduction (03:28) - Active transportation with Ashley and Aaron (08:55) - What has the $100 million built? (14:17) - What happened at committee (18:37) - The 50 Street compromise (21:31) - Ad: Life Sciences Week (23:30) - Provincial bike-lane legislation (27:32) - What happens next (28:27) - Budget and climate (34:39) - Week Without Bike Lanes (36:32) - Final thoughts (40:24) - Close Here are the relevant links for this episode:Ashley SalvadorAshleySalvador.comWard Métis - Ashley SalvadorAaron BudnickAaron Budnick on LinkedInEdmonton Bike CoalitionActive transportationBike routes cancelled or put off despite council directionOn the agenda: Bike lanes, climate resilience, Low Level BridgeActive Transportation Implementation Acceleration Program Update (PDF)Active Transportation Network ExpansionEdmonton bike lane expansion to continue as plannedGovernment of Alberta praises Ontario court ruling on bike lanesEpisode 368: Everyone is mad for different reasonsWeek Without Bike Lanes2027 Update - Climate Implementation Priorities council reportThis episode is brought to you by Wellspring Alberta's Skyline Rush Challenge. On Saturday, Oct. 3, rappel 240 feet down the Courtyard Edmonton Downtown Hotel while raising funds for free programs and services for Albertans and families facing cancer. No rappelling experience is needed, and this year you can take on the challenge side-by-side with a friend. Learn moreThis episode is also brought to you by Life Sciences Week, a free, community-led event that celebrates and advances Alberta's life sciences. It runs Sept. 21 to 25 with events across the province, beginning with a kickoff in Edmonton at 10am on Monday, Sept. 21. In this episode, Andrew MacIsaac, CEO of Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, explains the sector's growth and potential in the Edmonton region. Learn moreSpeaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton. We deliver reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!Want to reach the smartest, most-engaged people in the Edmonton region? Learn more about advertising with Taproot Edmonton! ★ Support this podcast ★