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Planning & Development Services resource library

Visit the Local Policy Plans Map to see planning policies in your area.

Planning Policies

The planning policies listed on this webpage are published in compliance with s. 638.2 of the Municipal Government Act.

Provincial documents

Intermunicipal policies

City-Wide policies

Statutory Plan

Municipalities enact statutory plans to guide future development and to facilitate local planning. Statutory plans include a municipal development plan (for the city as a whole), intermunicipal development plan (a joint plan for adjacent municipalities), area structure plan (a plan for a new community) and area redevelopment plan (a plan for an existing community that is redeveloping). A statutory plan must meet requirements for public notification or engagement, and is adopted by Council bylaw.

Non-statutory policies

Non-statutory policies may include plans, guidelines or other policies that can be used to guide planning and development. They may be used, along with applicable statutory plans and bylaws, in making planning decisions. Non-statutory policies may be adopted by Council resolution, or by City Administration.

City-Wide application implementation
How-to-guides to support application implementation
Engineering specifications/implementation
Environment, parks and open spaces implementation

      Local Policies

      Map of Local Policy Plans

      Statutory Plans

      Municipalities enact statutory plans to guide future development and to facilitate local planning. There are two types of statutory plans at the local level: area structure plans and area redevelopment plans. Area structure plans are plans for a new community, while area redevelopment plans—also called local area plans—are plans for how an existing community will redevelop over time. A statutory plan must meet requirements for public notification or engagement, and is adopted by Council bylaw.

      Non-statutory policies

      Non-statutory policies may include plans, guidelines or other policies that can be used to guide planning and development. They may be used, along with applicable statutory plans and bylaws, in making planning decisions. Non-statutory policies may be adopted by Council resolution, or by City Administration.

      Local Area Planning policy implementation
      Downtown implementation

      Planning and licensing Bylaws

      How to apply: checklist and fees

      Building and Development lists and forms (CARLs)

      Inventory of Costs

      • Inventory of Costs of Development Permits for Redevelopment - Multi Residential, Mixed Use and Commercial Buildings.

      Building Regulation advisories and bulletins

      Technical and design specifications

      Waste and Recycling Services requirements

      Standard specifications for roads construction

      Calgary Approvals Coordination catalogues and distributes technical specifications and engineering design manuals.

      The City of Calgary no longer prints and sell hardcopies. Users are encouraged to explore the digital specifications before printing hardcopies.

      Technical specifications

      Cathodic Protection Installation

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Cathodic Protection Installation Checklist

      January 1, 2018

      Capital project construction signs

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Capital Signage Guidelines

      January 1, 2018

      Infrastructure Servicing

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Water Supply for Public Fire Protection 1999

      January 1, 1999

      Internal Guide - Fire Flow Review for Development Applications

      January 1, 2018

      Standards and Guidelines for Municipal Waterworks, Part 1

      January 1, 2012

      Standards and Guidelines for Municipal Waterworks, Part 2

      January 1, 2012

      Wastewater Systems Standards for Performance and Design, Part 3

      January 1, 2013

      Wastewater Systems Guidelines for Design, Part 4

      January 1, 2013

      Stormwater Management Guidelines, Part 5

      January 1, 2013

      Standard specifications for water construction

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Standard specifications for waterworks construction - 2025

      January 1, 2025

      Standard specifications for waterworks construction - 2022

      January 1, 2023

      Proximity guidelines 2015

      March 25, 2015

      Stormwater Irrigation Guidelines

      2018

      Standard specifications for sewer construction

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Standard specifications for sewer construction 2025 NEW

      January 1, 2025

      Standard specifications for sewer construction 2022

      January 1, 2023

      Standard specifications for roads construction

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Roads construction 2021 (Current)

      January 1, 2021

      Roads construction 2015 (For reference)

      January 1, 2015

      Standard specifications for landscape construction

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Landscape construction 2026 (NEW)

      March 23, 2026

      Landscape construction 2025 (Superceded)

      January 1, 2025

      Landscape construction 2023 (Superceded)

      July 13, 2022

      Landscape construction 2021 (Superceded)

      January 1, 2021

      Landscape construction 2020 (Superseded)

      January 1, 2020

      Landscape construction 2019 (Superseded)

      January 1, 2019

      Landscape construction 2018 (Superseded)

      January 1, 2018

      Landscape construction 2017 (Superseded)

      January 1, 2017

      Standard specifications for street lighting construction

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Design Symbols for Street Light Luminaires and Poles (Jan. 2023)

      Street lighting construction 2006 (Current)

      January 1, 2006

      Street lighting material catalogue 2016

      Luminaire replacement chart

      Design manuals and guidelines

      Design guidelines for subdivision surfacing

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Design guidelines for subdivision servicing 2020 (Current)

      October 1, 2020

      Design guidelines for subdivision servicing 2014

      November 1, 2014 to October 1, 2020

      Design guidelines for subdivision servicing 2012

      January 1, 2012 to November 1, 2014

      Addendum 1 (2012-05-09) - Emergency access to private sites

      Water pressure zone map

      June 11, 2024

      Design guidelines for subdivision servicing 2004 (Superseded)

      Feburary 1, 2004

      Addendum 1 (2011-04-01) - Flushing velocities and Manning's 'N'

      Design guidelines for bridges and transportation structures

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Design guidelines for City of Calgary bridges and transportation structures

      May 31, 2024

      Design guidelines for Development Site Servicing Plans (DSSP)

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Development Site Servicing Plan DSSP 2018 (Current)

      May 1, 2018

      Development Site Servicing Plan DSSP 2015

      June 1, 2015

      Development Site Servicing Plan (DSSP) 2012

      August 31, 2012

      Development Site Servicing Plan (DSSP) 2008 (Superseded)

      February 1, 2008

      Development Site Servicing Plan (DSSP) Complete Application Requirement List (CARL) (revised 2013-02-15)

      July 30, 2012

      Development Site Servicing Plan (DSSP) circulation stamp DSSP circulation stamp (.dwg) DSSP circulation stamp (.dgn)

      2018-05-01

      Geotechnical Guidelines for Land Development Applications

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Geotechnical Guidelines for Land Development Applications​

      July 1, 2017

      Waste and Recycling Services requirements

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Development Reviews: Design Standards for the Storage and Collection of Recyclable Materials and Waste

      June 17, 2015

      Sewer bypass pumping guidelines

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Sewer Bypass Pumping Guidelines

      October 15, 2020

      Wastewater lift stations

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Wastewater Lift Station Design Guidelines

      November 11, 2016

      Design and construction of sewer pipes

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Standard practice for design and construction of flexible thermoplastic sewer pipe

      July 30, 2009

      Standard Practice for Design and Construction of Rigid Gravity Sewer Pipe

      July 30, 2009

      Design and construction of feederman pipes

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Design and Construction of Potable Water Feedermain Pipes

      March 4, 2021

      Consulting engineers field services guidelines

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Consulting engineers field services guidelines - 7th edition

      January 1, 2020

      Consulting engineers field services guidelines 2012 Consulting engineers field services guidelines forms

      January 1, 2012

      Consulting engineers field services guidelines 2004

      January 1, 2004

      Stormwater management and design manual

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Stormwater management and design

      January 1, 2011

      Guidelines for erosion and sediment control

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Erosion and sediment control guidelines (Current)

      May 8, 2023

      Field manual for effective erosion and sediment control

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Erosion and sediment control field manual 2011 (Current)

      December 1, 2011

      Design guidelines for street lighting

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Design guidelines for street lighting 2016 (Current)

      Present

      Street Light Design Incremental Cost Data Sheet (DDS)

      Present

      2021 Street Light Design Bulletin

      Present

      Servicing guidelines for new single family / semi-detached / duplex dwellings in the developed area

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Residential grades Complete Application Requirement List (CARL)

      August 31, 2012

      Residential water services reuse guideline

      December 2, 2021

      Design guidelines for City of Calgary funded buildings

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Design guidelines for City of Calgary funded buildings

      January 1, 2021

      Design guidelines for fire stations

      January 1, 2011

      Other publications

      Access Design Standard - is required to be applied ONLY on City of Calgary owned / operated facilities – please speak with the project manager for the City owned project you are working on for details

      Standard Block Profile Specifications

      Note: These include Capital Project Block Profile Specifications, subject to the project coordinator

      Version Effective Date Addenda

      Block profile 2019 (Current)

      January 1, 2020

      Bylaws

      Version Effective Date Addenda
      The Utiltiy Site Servicing bylaw 33M2005 January 1, 2012

      Research resources

      Citywide Retail and Commercial Study

      This study that focuses on the commercial uses related to retail and services in the City of Calgary helps to better understand current conditions and future needs.

      Suburban Residential Growth

      These reports track the location and pace of suburban development activity to help balance residential land supply with anticipated future demand. 

      The Suburban Growth Report is five-year growth forecast produced annually and the Monthly Lot Supply report is a ready-to-build lot inventory updated monthly.

      Employment Areas Growth and Change

      These reports provide information on serviced (i.e. existing City infrastructure in place), planned and annexed land supply available in Calgary for industrial development.

      Developed Areas Growth and Change

      This report tracks redevelopment potential of Calgary’s established communities in terms of additional units that could be built under the land use designation or approved planning policy.

      Calgary Snapshots

      Calgary Snapshots has information about growth and change in Calgary. It is produced by The City's Geodemographics group.

      National Building Code

      • National Building Code - 2019 Alberta edition (previously Alberta Building Code 2014)
      • National Energy Code for Buildings - 2017 Edition (previously National Energy Code for Buildings 2011)
      • National Fire Code – 2019 Alberta Edition (previously Alberta Fire Code 2014)

      Building permit applications received prior to October 1, 2019 may proceed under the Alberta Building Code 2014 and NECB 2011 editions.

      Legal Agreement Precedents

      Legal Agreements are required for a variety of reasons at various stages through the development

      Approvals continuum. The below documents are the published precedents for The City of Calgary and the bulletin offers more information on what The City hopes to achieve by publishing the precedents.

      An instruction page on how to complete the precedent is included with each one. Before printing, executing and mailing an agreement to The City, please contact your Development Engineering Generalist and have them review your draft. This will minimize potential errors in the agreement and need for multiple submissions. You may contact Adam Burghardt at Adam.Burghardt@calgary.ca should you have any questions or concerns.

      Main Street locations

      1 Avenue N.E.

      10 Avenue S.W.

      10 Street N.W.

      14 Street S.W.

      16 Avenue N

      16 Avenue N.W. (Montgomery)

      17 Avenue S.E.

      17 Avenue S.W.

      32 Avenue N.E.

      33/34 Avenues S.W.

      36 Street N.E.

      37 Street S.W.

      4 Street N.W.

      4 Street S.W.

      50 Avenue S.W.

      9 Avenue S.E.

      Bowness Road N.W. (Bowness)

      Bowness Road N.W. (Montgomery)

      Centre Street N.

      Edmonton Trail N.E.

      Kensington Road N.W.

      Macleod Trail S.

      Macleod Trail S.E.

      Richmond Road S.W.

       


      These documents are also available in hardcopy. Call 311 or visit the Planning Services Centre located on the 3rd floor, Calgary Municipal Building (800 Macleod Trail SE) for a complete list of hardcopy documents.

      There’s an easier way to find planning information.

      We’ve curated the best development and building information from The City and put it one place.

      From submitting applications to development tools, like fee calculators and the Development Map, we’ve got what you need to make planning or building with us a little easier.

      Visit the Development and Building Professionals Hub today

      calgary.ca/buildwithus

      Contact us

      Planning Services Centre

      Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

      Live chat: calgary.ca/livechat
      Call: 
      403-268-5311
      Web: Planning Services Centre

      Development approvals review team

      Find development approvals review team staff to contact about specific applications.


      This information has no legal status and cannot be used as an official interpretation of the various bylaws, codes and regulations currently in effect. The City of Calgary accepts no responsibility to persons relying solely on this information. Web pages are updated periodically. ​