ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Main Streets Program is one of the ways that the City of Calgary is working to make our city “a great place to make a living, and a great place to make a life.” Our program shares The City’s common purpose of “making life better every day” by implementing a comprehensive process to transform our main streets into places where people want to live, work and play.

Vision

Main Streets are places where citizens come together. They allow us to travel less and live more by providing the things we need right in our own communities.

Core Principles

Main Streets are resilient, adaptable, and attractive places that:

  • Celebrate the character of the community;
  • Encourage diversity of businesses, buildings and residents;
  • Create a vibrant destination, and;
  • Improve public health.

What is a Streetscape Master Plan?

A Streetscape Master Plan is more than improved accessibility, safety and beautification. It is about place-making, creating vibrant places that put a priority on sociability, access and linkages, comfort and image, and uses and activity.


ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY

Over the course of a year-long, three phase engagement program for the 9 Avenue S.E. Streetscape Master Plan, The City engaged with residents and businesses of Inglewood and Ramsay.

Engagement opportunities in Phase 1 included a combination of an in-person event (stakeholder workshop), on street engagement (community sounding board and interactive street decals) and online engagement. For a summary of what we heard during Phase 1 of engagement, please review the Phase 1: What We Heard Report.

Phase 2 focused on understanding and confirming key community priorities and included a stakeholder workshop, participation in an Inglewood-Ramsay project open house, community sounding board and online engagement. The City compiled the Phase 2: What We Heard Report, which provides an in-depth overview of all the activities that took place and summarizes all of the input from Phase 2.

Phase 3 of public engagement focused on six areas of design being considered – street composition, concept design, crosswalks and street corners, side streets, laneways and park interfaces, and public art. This included an in-person open house and online engagement. A summary of the feedback and comments received can now be viewed in the Phase 3: What We Heard Report.


STREETSCAPE MASTER PLAN

The City has developed a Streetscape Master Plan for 9 Avenue S.E. (42 MB) based on citizen and stakeholder feedback, technical knowledge, and financial considerations. It takes into account the design of the public realm including: the vehicular travel ways, sidewalks, and interface with adjacent buildings. The design also considers crosswalks and intersections, side streets, laneways, park interfaces, gateways, public art, and pop-up installation areas. The Master Plan was presented to the Transportation Leadership Team and was conditionally approved into the next phase of design, pending budget availability.

At this time, no further budget has been dedicated for construction of the design presented in the Streetscape Master Plan. In the absence of funding, the next steps towards implementation:

  • The City will seek opportunities to dedicate City resources and funding to make short-term improvements that will achieve some of the high-priority objectives of the Master Plan. This may include partnerships with citizens, community groups, private developers, businesses and other interested parties.
  • The City will work with developers who are working in the area to coordinate public realm improvements with private developments.