Communities in Calgary constantly have to evolve and reimagine themselves in order to accommodate the constantly changing landscape of our city and its people. Calgary has seen an increase in urbanization, development and very importantly—redevelopment.
Since 2009, Calgary has been reversing the trend of rapid outward growth. More than 31,000 people have been added to established communities over that time, improving their vibrancy and efficiency. Redevelopment is the key tool in the battle to maintain existing areas. Consistent efforts to retain or increase a community’s population translate to better local infrastructure, transit, businesses and property value. [Smarter Growth]
Redevelopment keeps communities vibrant and relevant to the needs of current Calgarians and people moving to our city as well. In addition, it increases the life cycle of a neighbourhood. In looking at Calgary specifically, here’s five types of redevelopment we see happening in our city:
- New construction being added to sites that has previous, different uses. Example: Quarry Park.
- Vacant land that is being transformed into infills.
- Revitalization or rehabilitation of communities or areas that have been somewhat neglected over the years. An example of this is: Victoria Park, 1 Street SW, etc.
- Infill development in residential areas, which adds additional, new homes to existing residential areas. This is popular in Calgary, especially in areas like: Bridgeland, Marda Loop, Mission, etc.
- Using existing heritage structures for new or innovative purposes, such as: East Village (Simmons Building), Inglewood, etc.
Smarter Growth is a great online resource on all things redevelopment, urbanization and growth in Calgary, an initiative of CHBA Calgary. Interested about one of the redevelopments or communities listed in this blog? Feel free to contact us or catch us on Twitter.
