Calgarians see Centre City as the place to be

A majority of Calgarians continue to express positive views about the safety, cleanliness, amenities, infrastructure and sense of community within the Centre City according to The City of Calgary’s third Centre City Perception Survey.

In a telephone survey conducted by research firm Ipsos Reid this past October and November, Planning, Development & Assessment called upon citizens to answer questions about our Centre City. For example, we asked for perceptions of Centre City safety, cleanliness, amenities and their sense of community. Citizens were also asked about transportation to and within the Centre City, along with their satisfaction levels with Centre City infrastructure including sidewalks, on-street bikeways and parks.

A majority of Calgarians continue to express positive views about safety in the Centre, with nine-in-ten stating that is has stayed the same or improved over the last 12 months. Calgarians increasingly visit the Centre City to shop (39 per cent), eat lunch (47 per cent) or eat dinner (47 per cent) – an almost 10 per cent increase since 2011. And among all Calgarians, the use of a personal vehicle as the primary form of transportation within Centre City has decreased while LRT usage has increased.

These results demonstrate that The City of Calgary’s investment in the Centre City is paying off,” says Dawn Thome, Project Manager for Centre West Local Area Planning & Implementation. “Centre City residents continue to tell us that they enjoy living in their community. Even those who do not live in the Centre City are spending more time taking part in activities and contributing to a vibrant core.

The City of Calgary has been investing in the Centre City since 2007, which has created a more attractive core that has a greater capacity to support and encourage future investment and growth.

The survey’s key findings are available on The City of Calgary’s website at Calgary.ca/centrecity.

Calgary’s Centre City

Calgary’s Centre City is an important area. Home to more than 6,000 businesses, 35,000 Calgarians, more than 25 public parks and hundreds of events - it’s the economic, cultural and social hub of our city.

In 2007, City Council approved The Centre City Plan, a comprehensive and strategic long-term vision for the future of our Centre City. The Centre City team brings leadership, focus, action and awareness to collaboratively achieve and sustain the plan’s vision of a livable, thriving and caring core.

Calgary’s Centre City includes Downtown, East Village, Stampede Park, East Victoria Crossing, Victoria Crossing Centre, Connaught Centre, West Connaught, West End, Eau Claire and Chinatown.

For more information about centre city planning and implementation, visit Calgary.ca/centrecity.

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