ABSTRACT
Volterra represents the geographic attributes that govern the establishment, form, and functional patterns of small towns. A reduced physical footprint makes it highly walkable and environmentally sustainable. Ponoka was established in 1891 as a delivery point along the Calgary-Edmonton Trail. When a railway line was laid in 1893, the town was known simply as Siding 14 until an unknown railway employee wrote the name Ponoka, an aboriginal term for elk, on a sign. The town was incorporated in 1904 and kept growing as settlers arrived from Eastern Canada and the American Midwest. The Ponokas urban evolution is reflected in its current land use. Industrial and commercial activities were located at its southwest corner, and residential areas were initiated in the center and, as the town grew, spread to the north and east. The Battle River runs through and divides the town to create a central green buffer between the two sections.
