Develop a more consistent approach to mitigating potential challenges due to construction and improve how businesses and customers experience City-led construction.

This approach will include input from Calgary’s business community and their customers, partners in the construction industry, and City Administration. The team will report back to Infrastructure and Planning Committee with a draft policy and recommendations in early 2026.

Input from businesses and their customers is important for shaping the policy objectives. This feedback helps us ensure we are focused on the things that will support Calgary’s businesses while enabling The City to continue investing in infrastructure and amenities for the benefit of all Calgarians.

The next steps for the policy development include gathering feedback from customers, as well as follow up meetings and workshops with business organizations and members of the construction industry. Through this engagement, the team will build on the feedback gathered during phase 1 and explore the emerging themes through refined and nuanced questions. The Phase 1 What We Heard Report will be shared with the public here. The results from the business-focused survey promoted during phase 1, are being summarized and will be shared together with the What We Heard Report for Phase 2.

A customer-focused survey will be the main feature for phase 2 engagement starting late April. Engagement pop ups will help promote the survey in all four quadrants of the city and provide opportunities for the public to talk directly with the project team. Draft policy objectives will be made available in early June to gather further feedback from interested parties.

Throughout 2025, we will engage with the public to better understand the perspectives of businesses and Calgarians experiencing City-led construction. This will allow us to gather valuable ideas and input, ensuring that the policy objectives are informed by the needs of businesses and their customers.

In recent years, The City has been piloting a variety of business-friendly construction approaches aimed at supporting businesses by mitigating potential challenges due to construction impacts and encouraging business patronage during construction.

These initiatives have included alternative parking solutions, dedicated business liaisons, impact assessments, improved directional signage and marketing campaigns. More information on The City’s business-friendly approaches can be found at Calgary.ca/cbr.

On March 19, 2024, City Council directed Administration to advance work on establishing a Business-Friendly Construction Policy and present the Policy to the Infrastructure and Planning Committee.

Through this project, we are refining business-friendly construction approaches and actively seeking input from Calgarians to help shape clear and effective policy objectives. These policy objectives will be focused on a common set of priorities and help guide The City’s overall approach to supporting businesses and their customers during planned City-led construction. As we implement the policy, we will continue to evaluate and report on progress.

The City is listening to a wide range of interest holders including businesses and their customers, construction industry partners and City Administration. This approach ensures the final policy recommendation is reflective of business and customer needs and practical to implement.