Council maps out city’s long-term growth in The Calgary Plan

Calgary city council got its first glimpse at the 'Calgary Plan' on Tuesday. The report's aim is to lay out a vision to guide the city's growth.

Calgary council got its first look at a long-term plan that will eventually guide the city’s growth Tuesday.

The draft “Calgary Plan” combines and replaces the city’s existing municipal development plan and Calgary transportation plan, creating a single framework for future land-use, transportation and growth decisions.

It’s seen as a way to simplify decision making and cut red tape as the city’s population approaches two million.

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The Calgary Plan suggests building more in already-developed areas and doubling the downtown population to 100,000 residents.

It also aims to have half of all homes located within 600 metres of a major transit station by 2050, and to have 40 per cent of all trips made by walking, wheeling or transit.

More than 47,900 residents have participated in engagement sessions on The Calgary Plan since 2023.

However, council is so far split on some of the ideas inside.

Many focus on density, which has caught the attention of the leaders of some majority-suburban ridings.

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean calls the plan “blanket rezoning 2.0.”

“A lot of people got unelected because blanket rezoning, so we should learn our lessons here,” he told reporters. “We don’t have to keep trying to turn ourselves into San Francisco.”

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot wasn’t as opposed to the plan but did agree that it needs fine-tuning.

“(It’s) trying to go too far, too fast,” he said. “Many of the community folks would see that it’s reaching too far into the community.”

Both councillors pointed to those who own single-family homes, saying they’ll be upset with the increased building.

Many homeowners did complain about potentially decreasing home values when the blanket rezoning debate first entered City Hall.

Housing advocates argued housing for all — a human right — overrides financial gains for some.

The mayor believes council needs to tread carefully before breaching the subject again.

“We don’t want to stand on the same landmines that the previous mayor and council did, so in terms of the feedback that we’re hearing from my colleagues, it’s very constructive,” Jeromy Farkas said.

“We must have a transportation plan and a development plan for the City of Calgary, and in this case, it’s a matter of measuring twice and cutting once.”

Tuesday’s strategic meeting did not include a final vote on the document.

Instead, councillors were asked to provide feedback on the proposed direction before administration conducts another round of public engagement.

Administration will then bring the proposed Calgary Plan back to council for a public hearing no later than January 2027.

- With files from Timm Bruch, CTV News