In-person Information Session

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Alt Hotel Calgary University District (482 McLaurin Street NW).

Registration is not required.

Virtual Information Sessions

Tuesday, October 22 from 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 5 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.

REGISTER HERE for a virtual session.

Review the final draft of the South Shaganappi Communities Local Area Plan (LAP).

If there is anything that is unclear or if you have any questions, please consider attending one of the three information sessions (dates and times above) that are being offered.

Learn more about the South Shaganappi Communities Local Area Plan, including how the Plan was created and the Plan's key ideas.

Information Booklets will be mailed to homes and businesses starting the week of October 15, 2024. The booklets include highlights of the local area plan and Information Session dates and times.

A digital version of the Information Booklet is available if you did not receive one and/or you can find a booklet at an Engagement Station (see map) nearby.

Find a My Idea Station Map near you to pick up an information booklet.

The South Shaganappi Communities Local Area Plan is anticipated to be brought forward to the Infrastructure and Planning Committee (IPC) in January 2025. Check back for a confirmed date soon or subscribe for email updates.

Anyone who is interested can participate in the public hearing of Committee and/or Council. You can submit your comments in writing, register to speak or watch online.

The agenda for both meetings will be posted a few days prior to the hearings at the link below:

Council and Committee Agendas, Minutes and Video (calgary.ca)

Those wishing to participate in the public hearings can submit their comments or register to speak. Comments submitted before the agenda has been posted should clearly state that the submission is for "The Riley Communities Local Area Plan".

Public Submission to City Clerks (calgary.ca)

Members of the public may also watch the Committee and Council hearings via live webcast:

Council and Committee webcasts (calgary.ca)

For more information visit Participate in a Council or Committee meeting (calgary.ca)

We heard that people value the walkability, pathway network and accessibility to public transit within the South Shaganappi Communities. A safe and well-connected mobility network with options for different modes of travel is key to this Plan. The Plan identifies potential future mobility improvements that connect to transit stations, institutions, recreational amenities and major destinations within and beyond the South Shaganappi Communities.

The Plan emphasizes improving transit, walking, and wheeling networks along existing Main Streets and key corridors such as 16 Avenue NW, Home Road NW, 32 Avenue NW, 53 Street NW, Shaganappi Trail NW, Varsity Drive NW and 19 Street NW. Improvements include traffic calming measures, pedestrian-friendly design, dedicated cycling lanes and wildlife crossings. These improvements focus on enhancing safety, function, accessibility and comfort for all users along corridors throughout and beyond the South Shaganappi Communities.

Participants expressed that recreational opportunities within the South Shaganappi Communities are an important and unique characteristic that should be continued to be strengthened. The Plan Area is home to several significant recreational spaces including Shouldice Athletic Park, Foothills Athletic Park, Norma Bush and Father David Bauer Arenas and McMahon Stadium. These places are major regional draws for Calgarians, providing opportunities for recreation, social interaction and gathering.

As the South Shaganappi Communities continue to evolve, providing a wide range of recreational opportunities is important for existing and new residents. Improving recreational spaces for all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds will allow residents and visitors more opportunities to play, learn and gather with one another. The Plan identifies potential future investments in existing community facilities and spaces, improvements to Shouldice Athletic Park and the implementation of the Foothills Multisport Fieldhouse. Specific investments and upgrades could include year-round outdoor activation, enhanced programming or new facilities and spaces for diverse recreational uses.

We heard a wide range of feedback on housing choices and individual housing preferences based on factors like lifestyle, age and other changing needs. Communities that provide a wide variety of homes to choose from help current residents stay in the area as they age or as their needs change and welcomes new residents and families.

The Plan balances different perspectives on housing choice by enabling a range of small-scale homes throughout the Plan Area and focuses moderate- to large-scale growth along key corridors, Transit Station Areas, Main Streets and Activity Centres.

The Plan recognizes that major institutions like the University of Calgary and Foothills Medical Centre draw a significant student and employee population in the area. Considerations for housing that is affordable for a wide range of ages is included in the Plan through guidance of developing non-market, mixed-market, multi-generational and cohousing forms. Providing housing that is accessible to and meets the needs of people throughout different stages of their life is important as the South Shaganappi Communities experiences population growth.

We heard from many people that they value access to amenities, services and local businesses within and beyond their communities. Transit station areas along the Red Line LRT and MAX Orange BRT are important for connecting the South Shaganappi Communities and providing residents and visitors with accessible public transit. The Plan includes guidance on strengthening transit station areas through development policies and community investments.

Concentrating a mixture of high- quality pedestrian-oriented commercial and residential development in areas with strong support from public transit can create a community hub with additional services and amenities. The Plan identifies specific improvements within these areas including providing publicly accessible infrastructure and gathering spaces, prioritizing mobility connections and increasing transit safety.

The Plan recognizes the critical location of transit station areas in linking major destinations, institutions, key corridors and surrounding communities together. Investments in transit station areas could include enhanced pedestrian lighting and wayfinding, incorporation of murals and public art and improvements to active mode connections.

We heard from people that parks, open spaces, natural areas and tree canopy are highly important and should be protected. Places like Shouldice Park, Dale Hodges Park and the Bow River pathway system provide opportunities for passive and active recreation and are ecologically significant— contributing to cooling, shading, wildlife habitat and stormwater management. The Plan identifies opportunities to improve functionality, programming and biodiversity by protecting and enhancing these spaces.

Improving access and usability of parks and open spaces in all seasons for all ages and abilities is a key component of the Plan. The Plan also recognizes the importance of the Bow River riparian corridor and escarpment as environmentally significant areas and identifies investments to preserve, restore and enhance these areas. Additionally, expanding the urban tree canopy in the South Shaganappi Communities is guided through tree retention, maintenance and new plantings.

The Urban Form & Building Scale Maps help visualize where and how growth and change could happen in the plan area over the next 30 years and beyond.

The Urban Form and Building Scale Maps are intended to be interpreted together.

• The Urban Form Map shows types of buildings and what they should be used for. These can include primarily commercial/business areas, primarily residential areas and parks and open space.
• The Building Scale Map outlines The Building Scale Map shows the maximum height and size buildings can be in a specific area. Scale categories contain policies that outline building heights and other design considerations such as stepbacks (where higher floors are setback from lower floors).

Additional details on the categories within these maps can be found in section 2.2 and 2.3 of the South Shaganappi Communities Local Area Plan or within the Visual Legend.

It's important to remember that change is very gradual and the Local Area Plan itself does not rezone land. It is property/landowners who determine if and when to propose to rezone their land.

A local area plan sets the vision for the evolution of the area—providing direction on future development and investment that residents, landowners, builders / developers, City Planners and Councillors can commonly refer to as new development and investment ideas are proposed.

A variety of opportunities for involvement were available through the process that aimed to accommodate a range of participation interests and intensities, as well as to remove barriers to participation.

Engagement opportunities and methods included: working group sessions, in-person and virtual engagement sessions (with the public, community associations and development industry representatives), online engagement, mailed engagement packages, My Idea Stations, and community walking tours (with community association representatives).

Through the project, advertisements were displayed to help raise awareness of the project and opportunities to get involved. Methods used to raise awareness included: mailed information, community newsletter articles and ads, large format road signs, social media ads (Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Nextdoor), digital ads (including video ads on YouTube), digital ads at local destinations including transit stations, Communications Toolkits for area Councillors and Community Association representatives to help spread the word.

Input provided by residents and other participants helped the project team understand perspectives, opinions and concerns throughout the all phases of the project. Input collected in each phase of the project helped influence and inform the concepts and policies that were created and refined throughout the process. Throughout the project, the project team shared what was heard, highlighted the key themes raised, and provided responses for how key themes were addressed and considered.

Although it would be a great outcome, the goal of public engagement is not to reach consensus or make everyone happy. Public engagement is about considering the input, ideas and perspectives of those who are interested in or impacted by decisions, before decisions are made. Participant input is an important part of local area planning, but is one of many areas of consideration. Other areas include: City policies, professional expertise, current context and trends, and equity which all factor into the ultimate decision-making process and concept development.

Public input provided in each phase of the engagement process was compiled, reviewed and considered as each chapter of the local area plan was created.

• Phase 1: Engagement Summary (PDF)
• Phase 2: Engagement Summary (PDF)
• Phase 3: Engagement Summary (PDF)

• Phase 1 What We Heard Report
• Phase 2 What We Heard Report
• Phase 3 What We Heard Report

• Phase 1 What We Did Report
• Phase 2 What We Did Report
• Phase 3 What We Did Report

Planning Together for the Next 30 Years

We’re working together to create a local area plan for the South Shaganappi Communities including: Banff Trail, Montgomery, Parkdale, Point McKay, Saint Andrews Heights, University Heights, University District, Varsity, and The University of Calgary.

What is a Local Area Plan?

A local area plan sets the vision for the evolution of the area over the next 30 years. It provides direction on future development and investment that residents, landowners, builders / developers, City Planners and Council can commonly refer to when new development and investment ideas are proposed.

Why Do We Need a Local Area Plan?

The city, communities and streets where we live and work have changed, are changing, and will continue to change. People renovate, rebuild, enlarge and modify spaces around them all the time. We need to make sure there’s room for people looking to make changes and provide direction to help guide decisions. We also need to provide guidelines for investment when change is proposed, and certainty for residents and businesses to know how their community may change in the future.

South Shaganappi Communities - Plan Area

The South Shaganappi Communities include Banff Trail, Montgomery, Parkdale, Point McKay, Saint Andrews Heights, University Heights, University District, Varsity, and The University of Calgary.

Conversations about where, why and how revitalization and redevelopment should happen are essential to ensure there's a plan in place to help guide future changes. Growth and change happen in a community with or without a local area plan.

Consumer demand, market forces, and other factors will drive change in the community. However, in areas with high demand that do not have a local area plan, developers will often have to undertake site-by-site land use redesignation / rezoning applications in order to build developments to meet demand for new housing and businesses. This site-by-site approach can create uncertainty for local residents, who don’t know where the next application will come from and what it will propose. It also creates uncertainty for developers, who don’t know for certain what types of proposals will be acceptable where.

A local area plan helps create more certainty for everyone by outlining the general expectation for what scale and type of new development is appropriate where and what policies will help shape development that is proposed.

We are currently in Phase 4 – REALIZE, which is focused on sharing the final draft plan and brining it forward to Committee and Council for review and decision.

In this phase of the project you can review the final draft plan, learn about the key ideas, review the key changes made since the last phase and find an overview of the engagement that took place through the project. The Plan is anticipated to be brought forward to Committee and Council in Winter 2025.

A variety of opportunities for involvement were available through the process that aimed to accommodate a range of participation interests and intensities, as well as to remove barriers to participation.

Engagement opportunities and methods included: working group sessions, in-person and virtual engagement sessions (with the public, community associations and development industry representatives), , online engagement, mailed engagement packages, My Idea Stations, and community walking tours (with community association representatives).

Through the project, advertisements were displayed to help raise awareness of the project and opportunities to get involved. Methods used to raise awareness included: mailed information, community newsletter articles and ads, large format road signs, social media ads (Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Nextdoor), digital ads (including video ads on YouTube), digital ads at local destinations including transit stations, Communications Toolkits for area Councillors and Community Association representatives to help spread the word.

Visit calgary.ca/Shaganappi and check out the "PAST ENGAGEMENT" tab to review What We Heard & What We Did Reports along with Engagement Summaries from each phase through the project.

How was public input considered in the creation of the local area plan?

Input provided by residents and other participants helped the project team understand perspectives, opinions and concerns throughout all phases of the project. Input collected in each phase of the project helped influence and inform the concepts and policies that were created and refined throughout the process. Throughout the project, the project team shared what was heard, highlighted the key themes raised, and provided responses for how key themes were addressed and considered.

Although it would be a great outcome, the goal of public engagement is not to reach consensus or make everyone happy. Public engagement is about considering the input, ideas and perspectives of those who are interested in or impacted by decisions, before decisions are made. Participant input is an important part of local area planning but is one of many areas of consideration. Other areas include: City policies, professional expertise, current context and trends, and equity which all factor into the ultimate decision-making process and concept development.

Visit calgary.ca/Shaganappi and check out the "PAST ENGAGEMENT" tab to review What We Heard & What We Did Reports along with Engagement Summaries from each phase through the project.

Land is not rezoned in connection with the approval or adoption of a local area plan. Landowners determine if and when to propose to rezone their land. If a land use rezoning application were brought forward for a property it would be reviewed for alignment with the local area plan (if approved by Council). If no local area plan or local policy guidance is in place, development proposals are reviewed against other Council-approved City policies including the Municipal Development Plan.

In limited cases, The City (rather than a specific landowner) may propose to rezone land; however, City-initiated land use rezonings are clearly identified as such, prior to being brought forward to Council for decision. City Council is the decision maker on all land use rezoning proposals and a public hearing (which includes opportunities for the public to speak to Council directly) must take place prior to Council decision.

No. While a local area plan identifies and guides where and how future growth and change could happen within a specific area, it is property/landowners who decide if and when redevelopment happens on their property/land. If a property/landowner would like to redevelop their land, they are required to submit a planning application and go through a review process to ensure their application aligns with City policies such as the Municipal Development Plan, Local Area Plan and other applicable City policies

City Council makes the final decision on land use redesignation applications. Administration must review all land use redesignation (rezoning) proposals and makes a recommendation to Council based on planning merits, supporting policy and comments received. Council refers to the local area plan and other City policy and holds a public hearing prior to making a decision. Council can make the final decision on a land use redesignation as outlined in the Municipal Government Act (MGA) based on their own interpretation of policies, site characteristics and the merits of the application.

The City of Calgary does not have jurisdiction over institutions’ lands, including the University of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital, and McMahon Stadium. The South Shaganappi Communities Local Area Plan cannot apply future growth policies or direction on this land.

It is anticipated that the South Shaganappi Communities Local Area Plan will be presented to City Council in winter 2025. In the meantime, while the draft Plan is being developed and until Council makes a decision on the proposed Plan, active land use amendment and development permit applications will be reviewed against existing Council approved policy plans, such as the Municipal Development Plan.

In May 2024, Council approved citywide rezoning to allow for single, semi-detached, townhomes and rowhouses across all communities in Calgary. For more information visit calgary.ca/RezoningforHousing. Approved local area plans, those currently underway, as well as all future local area plans will be updated and drafted to align with Council direction to allow for single, semi-detached, townhomes and rowhouses across all communities in Calgary. These changes were effective as of August 6, 2024.

Most mature communities, especially those built prior to 1980, are below their historical peak population, so most communities are already designed to handle more people than live here today. Due to the decline in population and higher efficiency houses being built, there is now infrastructure capacity. This includes roads, transit stops, water and wastewater management, etc. to handle more types of housing.

That being said, through the local area planning process, we plan for reinvestment along with redevelopment. Chapter 3 of the local area plan (Supporting Growth) highlights key community improvements desired within the South Shaganappi Communities. We are looking for feedback on community improvements now to ensure we are capturing all the ways we need to support growth and change in the area.

Those details are not in the scope of a local area plan; however, at the development permit stage details such as building design, site constraints, landscaping, parking, utilities and waste and recycling staging areas are discussed and carefully looked at. Privacy is also discussed as part of the design of the new development. For example, glass blocks or frosted glass can be placed when side windows are proposed. All development permits include the opportunity for the public to provide comments during the review of the proposal as well as to appeal the decision about the proposed development.

Local area plans are meant to be living documents that may be amended and updated over time as the community changes and evolves and as conditions and circumstances in the area change. City Council is the decision maker for all local area plan amendments.