Calgarians asked to help re-envision the Olympic Plaza Cultural District

Calgary, AB – Calgarians are invited to help set a new vision for our city’s Olympic Plaza Cultural District through public engagement being led by The City of Calgary, in partnership with Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and Intelligent Futures.

The request for input stems from the Civic District Public Realm Strategy, approved by Council in early 2016, which aims to improve the public spaces around City Hall, Olympic Plaza, and the new Central Library.

This round of public engagement will focus on Olympic Plaza and its adjacent areas: Municipal Plaza, the surrounding public realm and connections through City Hall onto Third Street S.E. These areas have been identified as priority spaces in need of repair and enhancement.

“Our initial engagement efforts told us Calgarians want to see an Olympic Plaza Cultural District that is safe, clean and vibrant and provides great connectivity and public space design,” says Carlie Ferguson, Urban Strategy Lead at The City. “Now, we’re digging even deeper to find out what people like about the space, what they want to change and what additional amenities and programs they would like to see.”

“In our role of placemaking within East Village, we have witnessed first-hand how feedback collected from the public can influence design and provide a more useable and functional space,” noted Susan Veres, Senior VP, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. “The Olympic Plaza redesign will no doubt elicit a lot of feedback on how Calgarians wish to use the space moving forward.”

The initial result of this public input will be a programming guide that feeds into future phases of the project, potential design requirements and the site amenities most valued by Calgarians.

“Investment in our public spaces adds vitality and amenities to the area, creating valuable spaces that attract private sector investment,” Fergusons says. “Coordinating the two is essential to ensuring our collective ideas come together to enhance one of Calgary’s great public spaces.”

Starting today, Calgarians are invited to provide their feedback online by visiting calgary.ca/myOPCD or through social media using the hashtag #myOPCD. Stay tuned to the website for more opportunities to get involved over the next six weeks on site at Olympic Plaza, at various downtown locations and at special events across the city.

-30-