Focus group: Young professional perspectives on Anmore South
The vision for Anmore South is predicated on diversity. We want to ensure that the community we create over the next 20- to 25-year timeframe meets the needs of people at every lifestyle and life stage—from young families to seniors.
To collect the input of the younger members of Anmore, icona hosted a focus group for young professionals. During a 90-minute session, we collected input from 20 Anmore residents between the ages of 18 and 30 to discover what was important to them and how they envisioned a healthy, sustainable community.
Led by Greg Moore, President and CEO, and Mike Hind, Director of Community Relations, the focus group delved into five themes that have been identified as priorities by the Anmore community:
Housing Diversity
The group was asked to weigh in on the importance of this theme overall and talk about the aspects that resonated most when it comes to housing options for young adults, rental and ownership opportunities, first-time buyer programs and rent-to-own incentive programs, affordable housing, dedicated firefighter rental housing program and low-rise development options.
Recreation, leisure, arts and culture
The group discussed the importance of recreational, cultural, social and infrastructural amenities in Anmore. The conversation included the potential for recreational, retail and social amenities including spots for hiking, stargazing, outdoor yoga, children’s play, farmers markets and accessible parklands.
Nature
The group explored the potential for a community that follows the principles of nature-based design, including dedicated public parkland with wildlife corridors, enhanced biodiversity and protection of water courses.
Transportation & infrastructure
The group weighed in on transportation options including natural pedestrian trails, accessible, multi-use walkways, a local shuttle that provides direct access to rapid transit and EV charging infrastructure for bikes and cars.
Retail
The group was asked to share their thoughts on the potential for retail options in Anmore South, including a local fresh food grocery, restaurant, dental office, cafe and light commercial spaces for uses such as co-working.
We thank the participants for their insightful contributions, which will ensure that the discussions around the future of the Anmore South lands reflect the needs of young professionals as well as other vital demographics.