Council put forward a notice of motion (December 2018) to explore placing public gardens along the Green Line. Public gardens are places that bring people together to:
In 2021, Council approved Parks Foundation Calgary to lead and manage the project, and Green Line provided $4M of seed funding to be leveraged by Parks Foundation to develop a minimum of six park projects along future Green Line stations. The park projects are to be developed within 500m of future Green Line stations in parallel to Green Line Stage 1 planning and construction. Public gardens will support the enhancement of community spaces and bring new amenities to the many nearby communities for families, youths, and commuters to enjoy.
For more information, you can read the Green Line LRT Public Gardens Scoping Report.
Public art in Harley Hotchkiss Gardens near the 4 Street SW LRT station.
Green Line's Public Gardens program is closely tied to long-term goals like Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan and the City Shaping Framework. Benefits to Green Line communities include:
A Public Gardens Master Plan will be developed to identify a total of six projects, but an initial parks project has already been identified to begin in 2023.
George Moss Park, located in Ogden just 200 metres away from the future Ogden Station, was identified as the first project. The redevelopment of George Moss Park redevelopment will create a safe and fun gathering place for the community. It will feature basketball courts that incorporate a public art element, open seating area, a community plaza, tot lot playground and plenty of green space to connect with fellow community members.
Railway gardens have historically beautified public spaces through landscaping along railway lines. The Public Garden Program will use this vision to create vibrant modern public spaces. Public gardens will focus on six key themes: