Citizen-Centered Cities, Volume I

CHAPTER 3

Edmonton’s Walterdale Bridge

Fait Accompli

Heather Stewart and Paul R. Messinger

The Walterdale Bridge replacement project conducted public involvement that generated high levels of both participation and controversy. Four design options were presented to the public in 2010 for idea testing at well-publicized open houses, as per the Public-Involvement Plan (PIP).^14,1 However, some participants felt that they had missed out on opportunities to participate in developing those four options, and were frustrated that little leeway existed for solutions outside of those four preselected options.¹² Magnified by the importance of the River Valley area to Edmontonians and a history of insensitive management of First Nations burial sites, this ...