Ashley Salvador
I’m an Edmonton-based urban planner, sociologist, & entrepreneur working on projects related to housing, mobility, economic development & urban wellness.
MEET ASHLEY SALVADOR
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Ashley is the founder and president of YEGarden Suites and Calgary Backyard Suites - Alberta’s only education and advocacy-based non-profits dedicated to informing citizens on the benefits, challenges, and regulations surrounding backyard housing. She is also the CEO of Municipaction Inc., a consulting firm that supports Edmontonians in their city-building endeavours. She has experience working across sectors on projects related to affordable housing, climate change, social isolation and inclusion, infill policy, seniors housing, and demographic change. Born and raised in Edmonton, Ashley holds a BA Honours in Sustainability and Sociology from Dalhousie University, and is completing her MA Planning degree from the University of Waterloo.
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Ashley enjoys working in the space between community, municipality, and industry to achieve sustainable solutions to urban problems. Whether it is related to infill development, housing equity, transportation policy, or urban change, Ashley is committed to empowering everyday citizens to take part in the re-making of their human habitat. She strives to normalize urban evolution and neighbourhood change, and views city-building as a collective endeavour.
URBAN ADVOCATE | COMMUNITY ORGANIZER | SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR
IN THE NEWS
SEEN & HEARD
RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERVIEWS & PRESENTATIONS
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Edmonton Community Foundation. (2020). The Well Endowed Podcast - A history of urban planning in Edmonton
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Future of Good. (2020). Build Back Better - The Future of Social Purpose Spaces
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Strong Towns. (2020). Guest Speaker
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CBC Radio Active. (2020). City debates new City Plan.
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Ryan Jespersen Show. (2020). Edmonton City Council Talking Parking Minimums & E-bike Rebates.
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Edmonton Home & Reno Show Main Stage (2020). Garden Suites in Edmonton.
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Mark Connolly, CBC Edmonton AM. (2020). Parking requirements in Edmonton.
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Ryan Jespersen Show. (2020). The city looks to move to open option parking.
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Edmonton Southwest Seniors Association (2019). Downsizing & Ageing in Place with Garden Suites.
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Alberta Professional Planners Institute (2019). Growing the Garden Suite Movement.
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Behaviour Change for Sustainable Cities: United Nations Urban Thinkers Campus (2018). Affordable Housing.
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International Federation on Ageing Conference (2018). Planning about us, and by us: Reflections on Waterloo’s collaborative age-friendly initiative.
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Urban Affairs Annual Conference (2018). Young Adults (Still) Living at Home: Exploring the Relationship Between Young Adults’ Propensity to Reside with Their Parents and Employment Precarity.
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PLACE18 Planning Conference (2018). Leading the (Lane)way: Garden Suites in Edmonton.
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City of Edmonton Learning Session for Community Resource Coordinators (2017). The Power of A Block Party: Social Infrastructure from the Ground Up.
BIO
NATURE LOVER | EDMONTON | LIFE ON THE FARM
Growing up, Ashley lived with her family on a farm east of Edmonton, but attended school in the City. From a young age she developed a strong connection to the land and an intense desire to protect it. This drove her to travel to the other side of the country to study Environment, Sustainability & Society, as well as Sociology at Dalhousie University, where she graduated top of her class at the College of Sustainability.
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DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY | URBAN AWAKENING
Throughout her studies she realized that sustainability is not just about the environment. It’s about the ways in which physical and social infrastructure influence our lives, decision-making, and ultimately the health of our planet. Near the end of her degree, she took an interest in cities and housing. With low-density land use and housing patterns known to be one of largest contributors to climate change, social isolation, and declining health, Ashley decided this was the leverage point where she wanted to influence change. She conducted extensive research on infill housing and accessory dwelling units (i.e. garden suites/backyard housing), including the first comprehensive study on accessory dwelling units in Canada.
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DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE | YEGARDEN SUITES IS BORN | MA. PLANNING | UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
With a desire to take her research beyond the confines of academia, she founded YEGarden Suites, an education and advocacy-based non-profit that promotes the development of accessory dwelling units through policy advocacy, public workshops, and events. Shortly after founding YEGarden Suites, Ashley decided to pursue a Masters of Planning degree from the University of Waterloo, with a focus on homeowner-led development, affordable housing, seniors housing, and urban advocacy. During her time in Waterloo, Ashley worked for the City of Waterloo on intercultural and intergenerational initiatives aimed at reducing social isolation in seniors and youth. She also continued to build YEGarden Suites into an influential urbanist organization that pushes for positive change. After moving back to Edmonton, she founded Municipaction Inc. as well as a Calgary division of YEGarden Suites, Calgary Backyard Suites.
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ADVOCACY & ENGAGEMENT | TURNING CITIZENS INTO CITY BUILDERS
By empowering residents with the tools and resources necessary to take part in the remaking of our city, Ashley is helping turn citizens into city builders. Democratizing city-building and de-mystifying municipal governance is at the core of her work, and she is proud to be pushing this movement forward. Whether it is related to infill development, housing equity, transportation policy, or urban change, Ashley is committed to working towards continually improving of our human habitat.
