Will Plan It Calgary Lead Canada in Urban Sustainability?

Calgary's proposed plan "Plan It" seeks to lay out the city's future for the next 60 years, and it represents a dramatic shift away from unregulated suburbanization. It faces a lot of opposition.

1 minute read

June 25, 2009, 5:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley

Known widely for its rapidly sprawling suburbs, Calgary Alberta has an extensive LRT network and now a new commitment through its Plan It process to change direction. According to Jeffrey Simpson,

"Plan It Calgary tries to outline how Calgary must incrementally change to accommodate 1.3 million more people in the next 60 years. The emphasis is very much on rapid-transit expansion, density hikes around the LRT stations, much better street design, some new single-family subdivisions to be sure, but generally more intensive development."

But the plan is quite controversial with developers and their supporters, who argue that Calgarians should be able to live where and how they want to. But according to the Calgary Herald,

"City staff say Plan It would save Calgary an estimated$11 billion over the plan's six decades, since a less expansive city would need fewer new roads, transit stations, sewer pipes and fire halls."

Plan It goes before city council on Tuesday June 23rd and deliberations may continue for months.

FULL STORY: Here's the Plan: Calgary leads us all to a greener future

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in The Globe and Mail

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