Calgary Plan Update
How We Got Here
Every municipality in Alberta is required to have a Municipal Development Plan as per Section 632 of the Alberta Municipal Government Act.
The Calgary Plan is intended to serve as the evolution of our current Municipal Development Plan; a long-term vision for the city—bringing together priorities for housing, transportation, infrastructure, and community development into a single, integrated framework.
The Calgary Plan is a provincially required framework that will guide how Calgary grows and evolves over the coming decades.
At this point the decision is not limited to a “keep it or cancel it” choice. Moving forward does not mean accepting the current draft as-is—it means using the opportunity for this Council to review the work on a project initiated by previous Council and to refine, improve, and strengthen it alongside Calgarians.
Continuing the Work—Not Starting Over
If the current draft were set aside entirely, the City would be required to restart the process from the beginning. Instead, Council has the opportunity to build on the work already completed while addressing valid concerns raised by residents, community organizations, and stakeholders.
This is about making the Plan better—not abandoning the progress we’ve made. There are real opportunities to improve the draft and ensure it reflects the needs and priorities of our communities.
A Commitment to Stronger Public Engagement
Feedback from residents and findings from the independent KPMG review regarding Engage Calgary highlighted a clear desire for more consistent, meaningful, and transparent public engagement.
Moving forward and working on the Plan between now and January 2027 when it comes back to Council allows us to:
- Strengthen Council oversight of engagement
- Apply best practices and lessons learned from the KPMG report
- Have a more transparent and responsive engagement process through events and communications directly with the Ward Office.
- Our office is actively working to deepen engagement with Ward 8 residents to ensure their perspectives help shape the next iteration of the Plan.
Building Trust Through Action and Focusing on Outcomes
This is not the end of the conversation—it’s the next step.
Far from a “keep it or cancel it” approach, let’s focus on efficient use of funding and work already invested, and redirect and pivot towards solutions without having to go back to the drawing board.
Next Steps
From the Ward 8 Office, we intend to continue to connect with our Community Associations, Business Improvement Areas, and individual residents to receive feedback and provide answers on the process and areas to improve on the next iteration of the Plan. You can expect the following from us:
- Calgary Plan FAQ and Feedback Form on our Ward Website
- Calgary Plan-focused Ward 8 Open Houses
- Continued work with City Administration on content and improvements in the draft
- Advocating for an assessment and review of what’s working and what’s not working on the current MDP and Land Use Bylaw, and incorporating those findings into the Calgary Plan
- Diving deeper into what a new Land Use or Zoning Bylaw should achieve and how it will work in conjunction with the Calgary Plan
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact us at ward8@calgary.ca.
Resources
Categories: Community