Stephen Avenue is Calgary’s main connector to arts, culture and commerce and offers a stage for experimentation and innovation.

A 21st century street, Stephen Avenue links Calgary’s walkable urban core to its neighbourhoods through a great public realm. Active day and night, and throughout the year, Stephen Avenue is a catalyst for a resilient economy, enabling adaptation towards Calgary’s future. As Calgary’s premier local and tourist destination, Stephen Avenue fosters social interaction, civic gathering, and community pride.

Arts, culture and commerce

• Make Stephen Avenue’s cultural assets more visible and integrated with the avenue, allowing for greater access to, and participation in, arts, culture & education.
• Promote economic resiliency of the Greater downtown by providing diverse retail and commercial experiences, combined with hybrid building uses.
• Amplify the human environment, celebrate heritage buildings, and provide varied ground floor uses and a rhythm of active building facades.

Experimentation and innovation

• Provide opportunities for public engagement and experimentation by working with downtown partners and removing bureaucratic barriers.

Network and connection

• Promote environmental resiliency through green street links between the downtown core and the Bow riverfront.
• Make Stephen Avenue easy to navigate for all ages and abilities.
• Make walking a great experience – a rhythm of connected points of interest to spur curiosity and invite people to wander, explore and linger.

Programs and activation

• Foster socialization and gathering, while making everyone feel welcome.
• Activate Stephen Avenue at all hours of the day, throughout the year, to build a lively urban neighbourhood.
• Ensure public safety through codes of positive social behaviour, mixed use development with “eyes on the street” and innovative security design solutions.

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Phase 1A: Craft the Vision and Roadmap

2019-2020

• Citizens and stakeholders were engaged to understand challenges and opportunities and define what success looks like
• A public realm study was created that provides a vision and roadmap for the future of Stephen Avenue.

Phase 1B: Activate and Experiment

2021-2022

• The project is moving from planning to doing by testing ideas from the roadmap
• Ideas/pilots may include governance concepts, programming, temporary street closures, short-term intersection improvements and economic development concepts

Phase 2: Capital Investment Strategy

2021-2022

• The project is being considered for funding as part of The City’s initial investment in Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan
• It is also eligible for capital funding in the November 2022 budget cycle
• Plans, pilots and evaluation will be presented to Council through a Capital Investment Strategy to seek support and funding for capital implementation

Phase 3: Design and Construction

2023

• The pilot concepts that generate desired results will be developed into more permanent, detailed designs
• These may include streetscape improvements, economic development strategies and governance concepts

What’s happening now: Activate and Experiment

The Activate and Experiment phase envisions long-term change on Stephen Avenue by testing ideas to better understand and measure the impacts of change along downtown’s main street. Through this phase we’ll be making temporary changes to the Avenue. The goal is to bring Calgarians on board throughout the process, before making any investments in a permanent redesign. The City will accomplish this by:

• Enacting change – working with downtown partners to test ideas through public space activations, design ideas, and public safety improvements
• Quantify change – measure the impacts of each idea/experiment and use the findings to help determine long-term solutions
• Communicate change – engage with Calgarians and visitors to help determine the success of these ideas and experiments

Current Activations

Bank of Montreal Corner – Stephen Avenue and 1 Street S.W.

We envision a greener future for Stephen Avenue. We’re testing out plantings on this corner to create a green oasis. Incorporating nature into the urban realm has a proven positive impact on citizen well-being, biodiversity, storm water retention and air quality.

Right now we’re establishing a planting area with colourful, fragrant and attractive perennials and annuals.

A new gathering place will be set up later this summer, as COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

Hudson’s Block – Stephen Avenue and Centre Street

This location offers a great opportunity to test out a social seating area where citizens and tourists can take a moment of respite from their busy day, have a conversation or people-watch, all while being nestled amongst the street life of Stephen Avenue.

This new gathering place will be set up later this summer, as COVID- 19 restrictions are eased.

More exciting activations and experiments will be announced later this summer.