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Edmonton ICE District Planning

A new district to work, live, and play in

  • 25

    Acres

  • 20K

    Seat Arena

  • 50K

    Square Foot Public Plaza

  • Edmonton, Alberta

    Edmonton, Alberta

Reimaging Edmonton’s downtown as a cultural, entertainment, and economic district

Planning for the ICE District represents a turning point for the Edmonton Downtown area, a plan to spur an economic and cultural revitalization within Edmonton’s central core.

Comprehensive planning and engineering work set the path for development of this former brownfield site to transform itself into a vibrant new mixed-use, transit-oriented community that adds commercial office, residential, and retail uses around a new public plaza and NHL arena.

At the center of the planning process, we created a new land use zone that provides vital pedestrian linkages between the MacEwan LRT Station, the north edge, and the rest of downtown. The zone demands a level of design excellence that dramatically adds to the urban landscape. We worked on street activation through prescriptive regulations on urban design, at-grade street frontage, 360-degree architecture, articulation of building facades, night scaping, and winter city design.

With an intense public engagement program including open house forums, website, and social media interaction, we helped engage thousands of Edmontonians in an open, inclusive design process.

Now complete, the ICE District delivers a vibrant core for Edmonton’s downtown, from hockey games and higher learning to retail, residential, and transit.

At a Glance

Offices
Client
  • ICE District Development
  • Partnership for the ICE District
  • Properties (a Joint Venture)
Meet Our Team

Simon O'Byrne, Senior Vice President, Business Leader, Community Development

I feel very fortunate to do what I do—urban planning—which is about the art, business, culture, and science of great place making.
Simon O'Byrne Senior Vice President, Business Leader, Community Development Read More

Darren Burns, Vice President, Innovation Leader, Buildings

Being an architect isn’t only about design; it’s about creating a lasting relationship with each client.
Darren Burns Vice President, Innovation Leader, Buildings Read More

Nancy MacDonald, Regional Business Leader, Infrastructure

Urban professionals address the needs of our communities and help unlock the benefits of development. We’re city-builders.
Nancy MacDonald Regional Business Leader, Infrastructure Read More

Tom Young, Senior Principal, Urban Places Geographic Sector Leader (Ontario & Atlantic)

Making cities more resilient must allow people to live better lives with a lighter footprint. The future of urbanism is people-centred.
Tom Young Senior Principal, Urban Places Geographic Sector Leader (Ontario & Atlantic) Read More

Yolanda Lew, Principal, Business Centre Sector Lead, Community Development

I don’t just plan a street or a neighbourhood based on its functionality. I envision the people who live and work in the area and I design the community for them.
Yolanda  Lew Principal, Business Centre Sector Lead, Community Development Read More

Faruk Kharadi, Senior Water Resources Engineer

After 30 years, it’s amazing how much of the underground water infrastructure in and around Edmonton that I have worked on.
Faruk Kharadi Senior Water Resources Engineer Read More

Simon O'Byrne

Senior Vice President, Business Leader, Community Development

Darren Burns

Vice President, Innovation Leader, Buildings

Nancy MacDonald

Regional Business Leader, Infrastructure

Tom Young

Senior Principal, Urban Places Geographic Sector Leader (Ontario & Atlantic)

Yolanda  Lew

Principal, Business Centre Sector Lead, Community Development

Faruk Kharadi

Senior Water Resources Engineer

We're better together

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