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City council will be asked to endorse a set of winter design recommendations Tuesday that could fundamentally shift what it’s like to walk outside in Edmonton.

While the winter strategy so far has been about celebrating frost and outdoor beauty, this is about actually being warmer.

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It calls for balconies, trees and podiums to slow and redirect the wind before anyone is allowed to build a high tower, push-button heaters at well-used transit stops, raised crosswalks in pedestrian areas to keep boots and wheelchairs out of the snow, dense rows of spruce trees to slow the wind in parks and walking trails, and south-facing seating areas tucked out of the wind to capture sun.

That’s in addition to beauty — the guide calls for creative lighting on buildings and softly. lit trails without the glare that destroys any sense of mystery.

But even if approved Tuesday, it’s going to take perseverance to get these recommendations turned into bylaws and private practice, said Sue Holdsworth, Edmonton’s winter city co-ordinator.