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Long-form stories from Taproot Edmonton

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi speaks at a podium beside a slide that reads "Mayoral Keynote Address: Balancing Inclusivity and Social Cohesion in an Era of Rising Polarization: Mayoral Leadership in Building Resilient Cities in the Face of Migration Challenges"
city council racism

Mayor lauds anti-racism efforts amid acrimony

Committee in charge of Edmonton's strategy dissolved against its will, work now in administration's hands

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi has been highlighting the city's anti-racism efforts, even travelling to Berlin to speak about it. But the committee charged with shaping that work has been paused, raising concerns about a lack of community involvement and delays in implementing the city's anti-racism strategy.


By Nathan Fung Nathan Fung

A canopy of green leaves as seen from beneath a tree
trees climate change

For Edmonton, a sustainable future depends on trees

Edmonton is counting on trees to help it lessen its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the effects of climate change

Even though a council committee has put off passing a bylaw to protect trees on private property, the Tomorrow Foundation for a Sustainable Future is encouraged to see progress on a file that is vital to the city's ability to lessen and mitigate the effects of climate change.


By Dustin Scott Dustin Scott and Karen Unland Karen Unland

A map of Edmonton's 15 districts, as laid out in the City Plan
people's agenda city council

City aims for Edmontonians to 'live more locally' with 15-minute districts

The 15-minute city is an urban design strategy that the current city council adopted as part of the City Plan at the end of 2020. The next city council, and its successors, will make the decisions that either help bring this plan to life or leave it to languish. As the municipal election approaches, this is a good time to examine what this concept means for Edmonton.


By Emily Rendell-Watson Emily Rendell-Watson

Two years ago, Edmonton declared a climate emergency and voted that city administration regularly update city council on its progress towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
city council climate change

Countdown to 2050: Explaining Edmonton's carbon budget

The city wants to be carbon neutral within 30 years. This is how it plans to do it.

The devastating effects of climate change have become more clear than ever over the past few years, urging Edmonton and other cities around the world to aggressively curb their carbon emissions. In April 2021, city council approved a plan with an ambitious idea — what if Edmonton budgeted for carbon emissions the same way it handles its money?


By Scott Lilwall Scott Lilwall

C5 North East Community Hub
people's agenda community hubs

This social-services experiment is working — could there be more?

The C5 North East Community Hub serves an area that needs it, but its future is not guaranteed, and its replicability is untested

The C5 North East Hub is unique in Edmonton, as a collaborative and comprehensive source of social services in an area that needs them. So far, it appears to be a success, but continued funding is not guaranteed, nor is it certain that there is an appetite for funding similar hubs elsewhere. That will be for future city councils to decide, which is a reason to take a closer look at the C5 experiment ahead of the municipal election on Oct. 18.


By Jackson Spring Jackson Spring