Calgary's East Village

I blogged on Calgary's East Village last June when I there to attend a symposium. Here are some remarks — Download PDF File — I made then.

The symposium and my remarks were concerned with how the University of Calgary might take part in the re-development of a small part of Calgary known as the "East Village." To the east of the downtown core and bounded by the lovely Bow River, the area was the historical origin of Calgary but for 40 years at least if not more has seen little development. In fact a good half of it is vacant lots. The City hopes through its plan (which is both regulation and capital improvement) to spur development in the area. It seems to be working. The University of Calgary, at least as of six months ago, was engaged, along with other educational institutions, in planning to expand into the area.

 

 

Comments

[brian miller]

Pretty straightforward and clearly expressed, David. Hopefully, they will take your words to heart and avoid the "edifice Complex" that infests so many universities.

[Bill]

If you want to see some horrible urban planning, next time you are in Calgary visit the Westhills/Signal Hill shopping complex. Its built for the car not the pedestrian and built in such a way that you almost have to drive from store to store.

Calgary has some truly awful urban planning, lets hope that the East Village turns out to be an exception.

[David Sucher]

In light of all the "bad planning" in the world — which is actually not so much "bad" as simply planning oblivious to anything but the car — it's wise to be concerned.

And the best antidote to such concern, in the case of Calgary's East Village, is to follow the Plan which has been adopted by the Calgary government. I can't emphasize that too much. You Calgarians have a good plan. Follow it.

[Adam Villani]

That's a good point... you can have the best plan in the world but if the city council and planning commission just get starry-eyed whenever a developer comes to their meetings, the plan's not going to do anyone any good.

[Joshua Mann]

does anyone actually know when we are going to see some massive construction going on..or this just going to be a mess of ideas forever?