The Shared Street is designed to prioritize pedestrian comfort and safety. Wide, dedicated, and consistent thoroughfares for pedestrian movement is provided. These zones are universally accessible paths, unobstructed by any furnishings and barriers and will be built with high quality paving materials.

In the Shared Street, no private vehicles will be permitted. Access for emergency and maintenance vehicles will still be allowed. Active mobility users will be encouraged to dismount during peak hours of pedestrian activity.

Pedestrian movement space is balanced with expanded opportunities for everyday public amenities, patios, special events, and activities for all. Here, a lively and vibrant public realm invites Calgarians and visitors alike to spend time on the Avenue, year-round, both every day and for special events.

A tree canopy can provide a wide range of benefits including shade, beautification and reductions in urban heat and stormwater runoff. I will also act as a continuous vertical design and identity element for the Avenue.

Priority is placed on creating optimal conditions for healthy trees to thrive. This includes providing sufficient soil volumes with trees planted in continuous trenches and soil cells, while selecting suitable tree species for site conditions and context. Utility relocation is needed to achieve this vision — which provides added opportunity to integrate stormwater & low impact development infrastructure.

Trees are carefully located to provide a comfortable environment without blocking visibility to commercial signage and notable facades.

A consolidated furniture zone provides space for everyday amenities such as public benches and seating, improved lighting, waste and recycling bins, bike racks, etc. ensures that Avenue can support everyday life for those living and working nearby.

Improved lighting increases the feeling of safety and extends the Avenue’s use into the evening while enhancing the nighttime experience. Games and playful interactive features will draw a mix of age groups, including children and young adults.

A balance of both commercially driven private patios and a range of public and free-to-all seating is provided. Private patio seating is provided adjacent to restaurants, cafes and bars to extend service outside. Free-to sit options including communal tables and social seating for socializing, take-out and bring your own dining, ensures that there is a place for everyone to spend time along the Avenue.

Stephen Avenue is designed as Calgary's everyday main street, to invite and support Calgarians and visitors alike to spend time downtown year-round.

Events supplement this everyday activity with seasonal, temporary activations that bring a new experience to the public realm - from art to performance and beyond. Within the central program zone, the public realm offers a platform for this mix of everyday and special activity, activated via public seating, patios, social gatherings, busking, street vendors and more.

Seasonality. Seasonal variations of central program features, such as warming and lighting, extends use across nighttime and wintertime conditions.

Adaptability. Program features will be flexible and modular, so they can be adjusted to respond to the needs of future uses and neighbours.

Along the entire length of the Avenue, parking, loading and deliveries will not be permitted directly on Stephen / 8th Avenue.

As a primary strategy, use of alleyways for business deliveries will be leveraged. Further, designated loading, delivery and parking zones are provided on cross-streets near the intersection.

Each cross-street is unique, with some maintaining existing conditions and other designed with a new, context-responsive approach. Space is provided to support many functions including transit stops, accessible parking, loading & delivery, taxi & rideshare, food delivery services, and permit & public parking.

The Plus 15 is enhanced with simple, clear signage, serving as a gateway that boosts the identity of the corridor and wayfinding along it. The underside of the elevated walkway is enhanced with rotating, engaging installations that draw interest and vibrancy across all times of day and seasons.

This condition occurs at the 300 S.W. block, where there is also a stairway connection to the Plus 15, and at the 100 S.E. block.

Raised intersections are proposed for all shared street blocks. These intersections are designed with subtle transitions to create level centre crossings that ensure a continuous and accessible pedestrian experience. These intersections also allow for vehicles, including transit and delivery uses, to cross due to the subtle grade change.

A consistent approach to accessibility details, such as cane-detectable indicators, bollards, and level paving, makes the intersections navigable for users of all abilities.

As Downtown’s primary pedestrian space, the shared street will be highly walkable and bustling with public life. Pedestrian priority is reinforced across the streetscape, simplifying access and circulation to provide expanded opportunities for programming.

A continuous, dedicated through-zone, distinguished by parallel furnishing zones reinforces pedestrian priority. Across the shared street, there will be no private vehicle access. Emergency access and maintenance vehicles will be accommodated.

The multimodal street provides a neighbourhood-scale streetscape where two-way vehicular traffic is complemented by a people-focused public realm. Consistent, unobstructed sidewalks are provided on each side of the street, separated from bike/wheeling lane by furnishing zone.

A continuous, 1.8 meter wide elevated bike and wheeling lane lines the multimodal street, providing dedicated, buffered wheeling space for people on bikes and scooters.

Trees along these blocks will provide special moments of visual interest with ornamental features, with flowering and fall foliage, to be discovered.

Street greening, with low planting beds complementing the mix of large trees, further enhances the seasonality, giving character to the streetscape, improves stormwater runoff and promotes biodiversity.

A tree canopy can provide a wide range of benefits including shade, beautification and reductions in urban heat and stormwater runoff. I will also act as a continuous vertical design and identity element for the Avenue.

Lighting across all blocks, via pedestrian fixtures, hanging pendents and building accents, will enhance the feeling of safety and extend the Avenue’s programmatic and commercial viability.

Similar to the shared street, there is equal part commercial and public programming on the multimodal street. Patio seating is the primary commercial offering — as it complements adjacent dining outposts by providing cafe-style seating within the furnishing zone. Patio seating is situated between elements such as trees and light posts which offer a variety of light/shade conditions.

Commercial offerings are complemented by co-located public, free-to-all invites that support the neighbourhood-scale and draw of the street. These offerings include public bench and communal-style seating and play features.

Everyday amenities are integrated into the furnishing zone across all blocks. They offer small moments of support for people moving along the sidewalk and include everything from lighting to active mobility parking, waste bins, and benches to stop and rest or socialize.

Within the multimodal street, the vehicular lanes within one or more blocks can serve as space for special events, such as block parties or a Christmas Village, through temporary street closures. If the event spans multiple blocks, cross-street traffic may need to be accommodated.

Raised intersections are proposed for all shared street blocks. These intersections are designed with subtle transitions to create level centre crossings that ensure a continuous and accessible pedestrian experience. These intersections also allow for vehicles, including transit and delivery uses, to cross due to the subtle grade change.

A consistent approach to accessibility details, such as cane-detectable indicators, bollards, and level paving, makes the intersections navigable for users of all abilities.

Improved wayfinding, coupled with streamlined circulation along the sidewalk, will draw attention to the existing Plus 15 Walkway connection and make it easier to access.

The use of color can further boost the visibility to the Plus 15 Walkway, making it easier to spot from greater distances.

Intersections are designed to streamline movement for all while reducing conflict between modes. Bump-outs shorten crossing distances and reinforce pedestrian priority.

Bike markings run parallel to crosswalks where wheeling lanes are provided to further reinforce modal hierarchy. Wayfinding inset within paving is aligned with crosswalks to promote intuitive travel between the Avenue and perpendicular streets.

For intersections with perpendicular bike infrastructure, bike markings run parallel crosswalks in each direction, aligned with their respective bike lane. Bike boxes are proposed past the cross-street crosswalks to ensure cyclist safety and reduce potential conflict. Similar bike infrastructure connections occur at intersections on 11 Street S.W., 8th S.W., 7th Street S.W., and 5th Street S.W.

As Downtown’s primary pedestrian space, the shared street will be highly walkable and bustling with public life. Pedestrian priority is reinforced across the streetscape, simplifying access and circulation to provide expanded opportunities for programming.

A continuous, dedicated through-zone, distinguished by parallel furnishing zones reinforces pedestrian priority. Across the shared street, there will be no private vehicle access. Emergency access and maintenance vehicles will be accommodated.

Trees along these blocks will provide special moments of visual interest with ornamental features, with flowering and fall foliage, to be discovered.

Street greening, with low planting beds complementing the mix of large trees, further enhances the seasonality, giving character to the streetscape, improves stormwater runoff and promotes biodiversity.

A tree canopy can provide a wide range of benefits including shade, beautification and reductions in urban heat and stormwater runoff. I will also act as a continuous vertical design and identity element for the Avenue.

Lighting across all blocks, via pedestrian fixtures, hanging pendents and building accents, will enhance the feeling of safety and extend the Avenue’s programmatic and commercial viability.

Similar to the shared street, there is equal part commercial and public programming on the multimodal street. Patio seating is the primary commercial offering — as it complements adjacent dining outposts by providing cafe-style seating within the furnishing zone. Patio seating is situated between elements such as trees and light posts which offer a variety of light/shade conditions.

Commercial offerings are complemented by co-located public, free-to-all invites that support the neighbourhood-scale and draw of the street. These offerings include public bench and communal-style seating and play features.

Everyday amenities are integrated into the furnishing zone across all blocks. They offer small moments of support for people moving along the sidewalk and include everything from lighting to active mobility parking, waste bins, and benches to stop and rest or socialize.

Within the multimodal street, the vehicular lanes within one or more blocks can serve as space for special events, such as block parties or a Christmas Village, through temporary street closures. If the event spans multiple blocks, cross-street traffic may need to be accommodated.

Raised intersections are proposed for all shared street blocks. These intersections are designed with subtle transitions to create level centre crossings that ensure a continuous and accessible pedestrian experience. These intersections also allow for vehicles, including transit and delivery uses, to cross due to the subtle grade change.

A consistent approach to accessibility details, such as cane-detectable indicators, bollards, and level paving, makes the intersections navigable for users of all abilities.

Improved wayfinding, coupled with streamlined circulation along the sidewalk, will draw attention to the existing Plus 15 Walkway connection and make it easier to access.

The use of color can further boost the visibility to the Plus 15 Walkway, making it easier to spot from greater distances.

Intersections are designed to streamline movement for all while reducing conflict between modes. Bump-outs shorten crossing distances and reinforce pedestrian priority.

Bike markings run parallel to crosswalks where wheeling lanes are provided to further reinforce modal hierarchy. Wayfinding inset within paving is aligned with crosswalks to promote intuitive travel between the Avenue and perpendicular streets.

For intersections with perpendicular bike infrastructure, bike markings run parallel crosswalks in each direction, aligned with their respective bike lane. Bike boxes are proposed past the cross-street crosswalks to ensure cyclist safety and reduce potential conflict. Similar bike infrastructure connections occur at intersections on 11 Street S.W., 8th S.W., 7th Street S.W., and 5th Street S.W.