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Following a multi-year collaborative process, including approximately 90 hours of community engagement; 19 open houses, 6 focus group meetings, 1 survey and 12 Council meetings, Parkland County’s new Land Use Bylaw (LUB) was adopted by Council following its third reading on May 27, 2025.

The LUB is an important tool that Parkland County has to implement the vision, goals, and policies of the Municipal Development Plan (MDP). Regulations in the Land Use Bylaw are informed by the County's MDP, Area Structure Plans, and Area Redevelopment Plans. Land use regulations can help preserve prime agricultural lands, protect environmentally sensitive areas, support diverse economic growth and help families age in place within their community.

A multi-phase, consultative process

The updated LUB reflects the inclusion of Wabamun as part of the County, in addition to consolidating districts to reduce redundancy, increase flexibility, and help enable more innovation without the need for amendments. This project is a culmination of a County-led initiative with a project team of staff who have been working alongside community members for years on development permits ranging from building houses on family farms to building new warehouses in the Acheson Industrial Area. The LUB ReDesign took into consideration the wide variety of current and potential uses by County businesses and County residents and targeted external and internal collaboration with the public, industry, agencies, interest groups, community associations and technical experts within Parkland County’s Administration. 
 
In phase one, engagement activities focused on sharing information about the Land Use Bylaw ReDesign process and learning how the public wanted to be engaged.

In phase two, County staff engaged with the public to gain a better understanding of concerns and priorities for development in the County. Engagement focused on themes like the use of agricultural land, natural areas, residential development or industrial development in Acheson.

In phase three, the County's project team took the feedback they received to draft new regulations. This offered the public a chance to review the proposed draft direction for how land is regulated to provide feedback to the project team. 

In phase four, a draft of the Land Use Bylaw was developed to incorporate feedback from phase three. Public engagement included a formal referral and public review of the new Bylaw. 

In phase five, the Final Land Use Bylaw was drafted. Consultation included a formal Public Hearing on the proposed Bylaw and scheduling of the approval process with County Council. 

Development of the Land Use Bylaw ReDesign also coincided with the Municipal Development Plan process to ensure collaboration with the MDP project team to have the projects work in tandem, resulting in policies and land use regulations that are informed, shaped by, and aligned with one another.  

Key updates to the Land Use Bylaw ReDesign

Notable updates to the newly adopted Land Use Bylaw include:  

  1. A new document structure and format to simplify the application process:



  2. A Land Use Districts and Use Classes tool that can be used by Administration and the public to set standard districts, consolidation of districts to increase flexibility and reduce redundancy, and reduced land use classes to offer consolidation based on similar impacts.  
  3. A Streamlined Development Process, including a change of use permit not needed when there is no new construction, a more flexible system of classes, more permitted uses, and expanded support of small businesses and the agriculture industry. 
  4. Documentation Simplification, Transparency and Consistency. Documents have been reduced by 40 per cent, user guides have been created and icons and tables have been incorporated to support understanding. The Bylaw includes the creation of new uses to align with current industry trends and new notification regulations for discretionary decision-making.
  5. Alignment to Feedback and Industry Trends. New regulations include event venues and short-term accommodations and updated setback regulations for natural resource developments. Innovative multi-generational living is supported through new permitted housing options and generalized definitions accommodate new uses as they are invented. 
  6. New Agriculture Conservation District + New Agricultural-based Use Classes + More Housing Forms Designated as Permitted uses + Revision and Removal of Confusing Overlays + Updated Regulations for Tree Clearing and Development Near Waterbodies.

Now adopted, the new Land Use Bylaw will support development and growth for Parkland County going forward.  

Click here to read the adopted Land Use Bylaw in full. 

To find out more about the LUB process, please visit yourparkland.com/LUB.