Cultural Plan for Calgary (2017)

In 2017, Calgary was ranked among the most livable cities in the world, with cultural vitality recognized as a defining feature of its success.

Building on this foundation, the cultural plan positioned culture as a reflection of civic identity as well as a driver of social cohesion, economic diversification, and urban development.

The plan was built on five strategic priorities:

·    Strengthening connections across the city’s diverse populations and communities

·  Supporting neighbourhood-level cultural activity

·   Preserving heritage assets

·   Diversifying the economy through investment in creative cultural industries

·    Developing Centre City as a distinctive cultural district accessible to all.

More than 800 Calgarians contributed input through 600 telephone surveys, a series of community soundings, and an interactive web platform. At the core of the plan was cultural which identified and spatially mapped more than 4,000 cultural assets across the city.  This inventory provided data to support future planning and created a data base of cultural assets and to raise awareness and access for residents and visitors.

The plan also mapped Calgary’s intangible cultural resources—its stories, histories, customs, and traditions offering narratives for understanding how the city’s past, present, and future intersect through culture.

Finally, it established a protocol and processes for planning culturally or planning with a cultural lens. One tool implemented was requiring all recommendations brought forward to Council by staff be assessed for their implications for the cultural vitality of the city.

The full report can be viewed here.