Phase 2 engagement is now closed.
Thank you for your participation!

Please visit the City Building main page for current information and for the final draft of the Calgary Plan, which will be presented to Infrastructure and Planning Committee on February 12, 2025.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

In-person Events
Come meet with us! The team will be in a community near you February 20 to March 1.

  • Wednesday February 28, 5:30 - 8:00 PM, Hotel Blackfoot (5940 Blackfoot Trail SE)
  • Thursday February 29, 5:30 - 8:00 PM, Brookfield Residential YMCA (4995 Market Street SE)
  • Past Events
    • Wednesday February 21, 5:30 - 8:00 PM, Vivo for Healthier Generations (11950 Country Village Link NE)
    • Thursday February 22, 5:30 - 8:00 PM, Rocky Ridge YMCA (11300 Rocky Ridge Road NW)
    • Saturday February 24, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Scarboro Community Hall (1737 14 Avenue SW)
    • Monday February 26, 3:30 - 6:00 PM, Genesis Centre (7555 Falconridge Boulevard NE #10)

Virtual Webinar
Learn more about the City Building concepts at an online presentation.

  • Past Events
    • Monday February 12, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
    • Wednesday February 14, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Online Questions
Explore the tabs and topic buttons below to learn more and share your input.


HOW TO EXPLORE THE CONCEPTS

This page is organized into the following sections to help you navigate to find what you care about:


    THE ESSENTIALS

    Each tab includes questions. Click through each one to submit feedback on all parts of the project.

    GOALS

    What is the Calgary Plan? Click here to learn more.

    CALGARY PLAN GOALS

    The Calgary Plan will shape growth in ways that benefit current and future residents, and that our best qualities as a city will endure through this change.

    The Calgary Plan will work to balance the long-term sustainability and resilience of Calgary’s Environment, People, and Economy.

    Our city carries the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation into action. The goals below also work towards building a more equitable city, reducing our impact on the environment, and adapting to and mitigating climate change.

    The three goals below have been edited from the existing Municipal Development Plan to simplify their intent and highlight the priorities heard from Phase 1 public engagement.

    Environment: Calgary is home to healthy natural spaces, people, animals, and plants.

    Calgary’s natural spaces are:

    • Protected, connected, restored, and enhanced
    • Distributed so that more Calgarians have access to the benefits of nature
    • Healthy and adaptable to the changing climate, increasing our city’s overall resilience

    People: Calgary is a welcoming place to live and visit.

    Calgary is a place where:

    • People of all backgrounds have fair access to diverse choices about their housing, mobility, leisure, and employment
    • People are empowered to live in ways that enhance their health and minimize their impact on the natural environment
    • Communities support social connection and belonging, welcoming people of all backgrounds and abilities and enabling them to thrive

    Economy: Calgary is a vital and innovative city that attracts and supports people, investment, and commerce.

    The city’s economic vitality is bolstered by:

    • Providing all Calgarians opportunities to share in our city’s prosperity
    • Fostering innovation, growth and development
    • Supporting adaptable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable businesses, organizations, and infrastructure

    Don't forget to check out the other tabs above to learn more and share your thoughts!

    KEY IDEAS

    KEY IDEAS

    There are six “key ideas” that explain the main direction in the Calgary Plan and how The City will work towards the goals.

    While each is important, these key ideas are not as effective if done independently. They rely on each other to amplify their impact.

    These ideas reflect the original direction within the existing Municipal Development Plan and Calgary Transportation Plan, as well as the most pressing priorities identified by Calgarians during Phase 1 engagement. In addition, they will align with City priorities related to climate change, Truth and Reconciliation, and equity.

    Protecting, Connecting, and Integrating Natural Spaces.

    The Calgary Plan protects existing natural spaces, connects fragmented network parts, and ensures more equitable access to nature.

    Building Around Transit

    The Calgary Plan promotes more activity around existing and future stations in the Primary Transit Network (permanent network of high frequency transit), unlocking the potential for growth.

    Connecting Mobility Networks

    The Calgary Plan supports safe, accessible, and convenient travel options for all Calgarians.

    Creating Walkable, Mixed-use Neighbourhoods

    The Calgary Plan supports intensification providing a greater mix of uses, with local populations that support walkable places with shops, services and amenities.

    Increasing Housing Choice and Supply

    The Calgary Plan enables increased housing choice and supply by making it easier to provide different types of housing across the city.

    Building a Strong Downtown

    The Calgary Plan supports a future-focused downtown that is a resilient and vibrant place for everyone, with welcoming neighbourhoods, active streets, and well-used public spaces.

    Don't forget to check out the other tabs above to learn more and share your thoughts!

    CITY MAP

    CITY STRUCTURE MAP

    The future citywide networks and land uses that will shape Calgary as it grows are shown on the City Structure concept map.

    This map builds off the current Urban Structure Map in the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and further illustrates the City’s existing direction to enable more people to live and work in mixed-use areas with frequent, high-quality transit.

    The map will guide long-term development and planning decisions and does not initiate any immediate changes to existing buildings. Details in specific areas will be further refined through the Local Area Planning (LAP) process, which will identify land use and mobility guidance specific to each area.

    Map showing Calgary's city structure

    Click through the descriptions below to learn about the purpose of each type of area.

    Identifies areas to prioritize ecological connections and natural health in parks, public open spaces and streets.

    What does the map show?

    • High-level ecological network
    • Rivers and creeks

    Note: Additional corridors are currently under review and may be added later.

    Identifies our primary citywide networks for all travel options, including transit, streets, and pathways.

    What does the map show?

    • Primary Transit Network (permanent network of high frequency transit)
    • Major roadways
    • Regional pathway connections

    Identifies areas suitable for a range of housing types, local services and amenities to meet the needs of residents.

    What does the map show?

    • Areas that are not industrial or large publicly owned spaces

    Identifies areas suitable for higher intensity mixed-use development on main streets, near transit stations and in existing centres.

    What does the map show?

    • Areas within 600 metres of existing and planned primary transit stations (existing policy direction)
    • Existing activity centres, as defined in the current MDP
    • Areas within 200 metres of main streets, as defined in the current MDP

    Identifies areas with mobility connections, amenities and/or other features (like transitions in height and land uses) between Activity Areas and Neighbourhoods, the Greater Downtown or Industrial Areas.

    What does the map show?

    • Existing inner-city areas, as defined in the current MDP
    • Areas within 400 metres of existing and planned Primary Transit Network routes (existing policy direction)

    Note: Activity Support Areas are new additions to the City Structure. Check out the Homes & Shops topic page below to provide additional feedback.

    Identifies “the heart” of urban living, employment, arts and culture, tourism, mobility, and entertainment activity for the city and the region.

    What does the map show?

    • Calgary’s greater downtown, made up of Downtown West, the Downtown Core, Eau Claire, Chinatown, the East Village, and the Beltline

    Identifies areas for a range of industrial and supportive uses that sustain local jobs and economic diversity.

    What does the map show?

    • Current and planned industrial areas
    Collage image of Calgary

    Don't forget to check out the other tabs above to learn more and share your thoughts!

    ZONES

    What is the Zoning Bylaw? Click here to learn more.

    ZONING BYLAW

    The Zoning Bylaw (currently called the Land Use Bylaw) is one of the most important tools for implementing the Calgary Plan.

    The current Land Use Bylaw was approved in 2007. Over time, the types and styles of development across the city have changed. By drafting the new Zoning Bylaw at the same time as the Calgary Plan, the two documents will work better together to achieve The City’s goals.

    What's changing?

    The main changes of the Zoning Bylaw focus on alignment and usability, including:

    • Making it easier to construct developments aligned with the Calgary Plan's goals and direction
    • Simplifying the Zoning Bylaw
    • Consolidating zones to allow a greater range of uses and types of buildings
    • Updating development regulations to match new and evolving needs

    NEW ZONE CONCEPTS

    The main components of all Zoning Bylaws are the zones and the uses.

    Zones provide unique sets of rules for different parts of the city and are intended to support different types of development.

    Uses are specific activities that occur in the city, and their locations are regulated by the individual zones.

    The concept for a new Zoning Bylaw is to consolidate existing land use districts into new, more concise zones to help streamline development approvals and standardize zoning across the city. There are 21 new zones separated into 6 categories, each with a specific intent.

    3 new Housing Zones would:

    • Enable low-scale housing to allow for a range of units typically appropriate in low-density areas. This will be aligned with the decision coming from the April 22nd Public Hearing of Council on Rezoning for Housing.
    • Allow for low-to-mid scale housing that enables a range of housing options, from small-scale singles, duplexes, and rowhouses up to six-storey low-rise buildings
    • Allow for low-intensity home-based businesses, like childcare

    3 new Mixed-Use Zones are intended for busier streets and development around transit stations to allow for:

    • A range of building sizes, from low-rise to high-rise
    • A mix of commercial, office, and residential uses

    3 new Core Zones would:

    • Reflect the range of uses prominent in the Greater Downtown, including housing, offices, commercial, and mixed-use high-rise developments
    • Allow density bonusing in the Greater Downtown


    3 new Commercial Zones are intended to:

    • Support the range of commercial uses that exist throughout the city, from convenience stores to large shopping centres


    3 new Industrial Zones would include:

    • General and Heavy Industrial Zones focused on protecting industrial lands from commercial and residential encroachment
    • An additional Zone allowing for greater flexibility of non-industrial uses in certain circumstances


    6 new Special Purpose Zones are intended to:

    • Accommodate natural areas, parks and schools, civic facilities, public infrastructure, mobility networks, and land waiting for urban development


    Don't forget to check out the other tabs above to learn more and share your thoughts!

    Want to learn more and provide additional feedback on the Zoning Bylaw? Explore the Details by Topic pages linked below.

    STREETS

    What is the Street Manual? Click here to learn more.

    STREET MANUAL

    The Street Manual will help build a thriving city with welcoming communities that are safe for all Calgarians, regardless of how they move.  

    Objectives  

    Streets need to support a high quality of life for Calgarians. The objectives below will be used by The City, developers and consultants to guide decisions about the design of all new and retrofit streets. They will also help inform The City’s operational practices, such as snow plowing, signage, and signals, to ensure that the design and operation of our streets are well-aligned.

    Through implementing the Street Manual, Calgarians will benefit from streets that are: 

    		Connected: Streets will connect Calgarians with each other and to the things that matter to them by enabling successful places, creating opportunities for social interaction and contributing to practical all-season mobility networks for all travel options.

    		Safe: Streets will be designed and operated using the Safe System approach, where no amount of death or serious injury is acceptable, and where protecting the most vulnerable is the top priority. 

    		Inclusive: Streets will address the needs of traditionally marginalized Calgarians by enabling more affordable travel options, incorporating universal accessibility and supporting independent mobility for all ages and abilities. 

    		Healthy: Streets will support belonging, emotional wellbeing and physical health by creating comfortable environments where Calgarians want to live and play, not simply travel through. 

    		Productive: Streets will create economic opportunities for Calgarians by enabling productive commercial and industrial areas, supporting goods movement and facilitating utility infrastructure. 

    		Environmentally Sustainable: Streets will mitigate pollution and support climate action by expanding the urban forest, managing stormwater and by enabling more Calgarians to choose walking, wheeling and transit. 

    		Financially Responsible: Streets will support both short- and long-term financial sustainability by minimizing costs from collisions, construction, maintenance and pollution. 


    Streets play multiple roles in the lives of Calgarians and, at times, these roles may conflict. While all streets should be designed to achieve each of the above objectives, the context of an individual street will require different design approaches and some objectives will need to be prioritized over others. The Street Manual will provide context-specific direction for how to prioritize between these objectives. 

    DETAILS BY TOPIC

    Want to know more about the concepts? Explore by topic using the links below.