Urban Planning and Design

Definition:

Urban planning and design involve the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transportation systems, and services to the city and bring together the many elements and areas of expertise involved in great place-making. Urban planning looks at things like road to sidewalk to bike lane ratios, appropriate metrics for land use, population trends, amenity and community infrastructure needs etc., which planners use to determine the right mix between housing, jobs, services, and public spaces. Urban design contains 6 main elements: place, scale, amenity, legibility, vibrancy, and resilience. These design elements and the urban planning ratios that help dictate how land within a city is balanced and used to meet the needs of its residents ensure that as our population grows, growth remains sustainable alongside populations and communities can thrive.

 

Urban Design Elements:

Place

Objective: Recognize and enhance the unique and emerging identity of a place by responding to context, local policy and community objectives through the contribution of innovative architecture and public realm.

Public realm: Does the project contribute a high quality and fully accessible public realm and appropriately scaled open space?

 Scale

Objective: Ensure appropriate transitions between building masses and adjacent buildings and spaces; define street and open space edges and bring human scale through articulation, materials, details and landscaping.

Public realm: Does the design include details to enhance street character and encourage use of the public realm?

 Amenity

Objective: Ensure that public sidewalks and gathering spaces are generously proportioned, comfortable, safe, fully accessible, and framed by transparent, permeable facades which allow for activation throughout the year.

Public Realm:

• Does the public realm design prioritize pedestrians and cyclists over vehicles?
• Is the public realm visually interesting, comfortable, and safe during all seasons?
• Are the public spaces designed for people of all abilities and ages?

 Legibility

Objective: Create logical, permeable networks of streets and pathways that connect within and between neighbourhoods and public places; design well defined community and building entrances with distinctive, memorable attributes.

Public Realm: Are the public routes and spaces configured to facilitate easy and safe navigation with clear paths and appropriately placed wayfinding elements?

 Vibrancy

Objective: Ensure that new developments contribute positively through well designed architecture that provides choice for all users and animates the adjacent public realm.

Public Realm: Are outdoor shared spaces designed for a variety of users and uses?

Resilience

Objective: Ensure that projects provide opportunities, through their site layout, spatial configuration, materials, and sustainable design features, for responsible operation and continuous adaptation to change over time

Public Realm:

• Is the public space adaptable for multiple uses over short and medium term?
• Does the public realm design respond to climate resilience/sustainability expectations?

 

Why are we talking about this for Calgary?

Urban planning ratios and urban design are essential in community and city development so that public spaces, communities, neighbourhoods, and public resources are designed and implemented with all members of the public in mind.

In Calgary, some of the most important city planning topics are around the balance between residential, commercial, and green space in particular areas, or the number of community pools or arenas the city needs to meet growing demand, or the mix of housing types within a community, and the number of supportive housing or social service programs in a particular city quadrant, etc. Future urban modeling plans help ensure that land use in all neighbourhoods supports both the current needs of communities and citizens but also the long-term sustainability of the city. By guiding density, infrastructure investment, and the availability of amenities, urban planning influences everything from traffic flow and public transit to school enrollment and park access.

Alpha House naturally takes the lens of the population we serve to determine the pros and cons of urban planning as it relates to services, infrastructure, or policy that will or won’t improve the circumstances of our clients. Our focus areas are often on things like public spaces and how inclusive, functional, and safe they are, supportive, affordable, and social housing projects and where they’re located, how many they are, and who operates them, and social services and where they’re located and how they’re funded. As a result, urban planning and design is of particular importance to the work we do. In our Vote Like It campaign, we have talked a lot about supportive housing and rezoning, rent controls and regulations for landlords and developers, and government-created incentives for social and community development. But a lot of these topics first start with urban planning and design conversations. In the above objectives for urban design, one of the considerations within each element is about public realm: asking questions about the use for the general public, which is particularly relevant for those with lower income or those experiencing homelessness because they often utilize public spaces and infrastructure more often than higher income groups.

Let’s take the example of something everyone loves: green spaces. Studies show that residing in a walkable neighborhood promotes social contact, physical living, improves happiness and mental health, reduces transportation costs, and benefits businesses.[2] Calgary has invested in maintaining a strong ratio of parks and pathways, with over 8,600 hectares of parkland and 1,000 km of multi-use pathways integrated into neighborhoods^[1]. This planning has supported both livability and sustainability, helping Calgary rank among Canada’s top cities for quality of life. Think of Calgary’s Beltline, Kensington, and Inglewood communities, which are designed to be sustainable and equitable.

Let’s take a different example of something not everyone loves: building a diverse range of housing options, including non-market housing, affordable housing, and social housing. When new housing is introduced, it attracts a more diverse population, like younger families looking to buy their first home, or professionals relocating to be closer to their workplace. This influx of new residents provides a much-needed boost to local businesses and to the area tax base. Further, a growing population base can encourage more investment in community amenities, public spaces, and infrastructure, all of which contribute to a neighborhood’s economic health and stability.

This means increased density in lower density areas should be a priority for long-term development. Happily, in Alpha House’s view, a compact city is one of the goals of the City’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP).

When building new communities, the city uses Area Structure Plans (ASPs) to make sure all key pieces: a mix of different house types and ownership options, space for parks, natural areas, and public amenities, and land for stores, businesses, and industrial uses are accounted for.[4] The plans also ensure communities have safe and reliable utilities (like water and sewer), are close to major transit routes, and include high-quality pathways and street connections for walking, biking, and driving. A lot of people are under the misconception that the recent rezoning amendment changes ASPs or gets rid of them entirely to rely instead on blanket community development without understanding of the uniqueness or different needs of a specific neighbourhood, but this isn’t the case.

Calgary’s long-term urban planning aims for balanced city growth and they meet this goal by tracking two main targets: the city must always have a three- to five-year supply of serviced land which is land that already has pipes and roads and up to a 15-year supply of planned land which is land with approved designs.[5] By checking the balance between how much residential land they have and how much people need, the City makes sure that all short-term growth is covered by planned city infrastructure, like emergency services and water systems. This whole process helps keep land markets competitive, makes housing more affordable, and creates thoughtful communities and neighbourhoods.

As new neighborhoods continue to develop, strong transportation planning is also essential – another piece of public infrastructure in which lower income groups and those experiencing homelessness use with higher frequencies than other groups. The city implements transportation planning through its Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) program. TOD is an approach to urban design that concentrates high-density housing, retail, and services near transit stations, making public transportation readily accessible.[6] Well-planned TOD generates multiple community benefits: it offers diverse housing options for a wide range of residents, it provides Calgarians with a convenient way to live and travel, it leads to improved streets, pathways, and parks, it supports local businesses and jobs by drawing more activity to transit corridors, and it contributes to a reduced carbon footprint. By tightly linking diverse housing options with readily available transit, the TOD program significantly boosts accessibility to both living and transportation needs for a wider range of Calgarians.

Calgary’s transit system, especially the massive Green Line LRT project, is designed to be a major economic and social boost, though it has been significantly delayed and the original plan for the train route has been adjusted to a less impactful one. However, it will connect new neighborhoods in the southeast directly to downtown and the rest of the city’s network (including the Red and Blue lines and bus routes).  The project team has communicated trains will run every 10 minutes or less, 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. This cuts down average waiting times by 20–25 minutes and helps ease traffic, reducing car congestion and total travel times by 10% city-wide. By having easy-to-use transit hubs, the Green Line allows people to switch between different routes quickly, making it much easier for everyone to get across the whole city.

Given the conversations around transit safety, improving the frequency, functionality, and density of city transit makes safety measures more cost effective, reduces inappropriate uses of transit (because there are fewer opportunities of low ridership and empty stations or buses/trains), and contributes to better wellbeing of those who need transit to access medical or mental health services.

 

What part of the housing puzzle does urban planning address?

Data from numerous studies supports a strong link between housing density and economic growth, between functional walking paths and population wellbeing,  and between economic success and housing affordability. Research also shows that denser cities are more productive and innovative, with a larger talent pool, better connectivity, and a wider network of businesses. A city that welcomes a variety of housing types, predictable transit, walkable communities, and connected services is better positioned to retain and attract a diverse workforce, ensuring its long-term economic vitality.

Calgary’s growth planning supports the city’s economy by making sure new communities and older neighborhoods grow in a balanced way. By forecasting population and job trends, the city can plan ahead for housing, roads, transit, and services, which keeps costs under control and land markets competitive. Ensuring a steady supply of land helps keep housing affordable, while mixed-use community plans create space for homes, shops, parks, and businesses, boosting local jobs and activity. Revitalizing older areas with new housing attracts more residents and customers, supporting small businesses and community services. Strong transit planning, makes it easier for people to get around, reduces traffic, and connects workers and businesses across the city. Altogether, these steps strengthen Calgary’s economy, attract investment, and help the city grow responsibly.

Alpha House serves a particular subset of the homeless population: those struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. But so much of the work we do is impacted by broader city policies around public services, housing, transit, community health, and city supports and we are acutely aware of the reality that improving the functionality, accessibility, and design of public infrastructure for lower income and vulnerable groups improves not just their lives (though that would be reason enough to support these things) but the lives of everyone in the city.

 

[1] https://www.calgary.ca/parks/info.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[2] https://raleighrealty.com/blog/walkable-community-benefits

[3] Thresholds for Locating Affordable Housing: Applying the Literature to the Local Context The City of Calgary Police and Planning document

[4] https://www.calgary.ca/planning/community/new-growth.html

[5] https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8f63497a4e9343b6af311defa8ae0eb1

[6] https://www.calgary.ca/planning/transit-oriented-development.html