Calgary’s Dale Hodges Park honoured with World Urban Park award
The City of Calgary has been recognized for transforming a 40-hectare former gravel pit into Dale Hodges Park — an international-award winning natural environment park showcasing one of the largest public artworks in North America and a stormwater treatment facility.
“This award recognizes what a special place Dale Hodges Park is,” said Director of Parks & Open Spaces Kyle Ripley. “I’m proud of the team that transformed this space into a vibrant, functional park that serves both the community and the environment. Their ongoing work to operate and maintain this area has helped it become a cherished gem in Calgary’s park system.”
World Urban Parks (WUP) recognized Dale Hodges Park as the winner of the Large Urban Park Award in the North America Region category as part of their WUP@10 Awards 2025. The awards celebrate excellence and innovation in parks, public spaces and community initiatives around the world. The award ceremony took place on October 10 during the World Urban Parks Symposium in Istanbul, Türkiye.
“We received over 100 nominees from around the globe, and the quality and diversity of the projects was truly inspiring,” said Michael Boland, Chair of the WUP@10 Awards program. “The winners of the WUP@10 Awards represent the best of what our profession can achieve—parks and public spaces that connect communities, restore nature, and improve lives. It has been a privilege to chair this year’s awards program and to recognize such outstanding work.”
The WUP@10 Awards were established to celebrate World Urban Parks’ 10th anniversary and to recognize organizations that are making an exceptional impact on the parks and public space sector. WUP is the international representative body for urban parks, open space and recreation.
Nestled along the bank of the Bow River, adjacent to Bowmont Park in the northwest, Dale Hodges Park demonstrates the value of habitat restoration and sustainable urban development that supports local ecosystems. The park is dedicated to former Calgary Alderman Dale Hodges in recognition of his 30 years of public service at The City of Calgary and dedication to the rehabilitation and preservation of this greenspace for future generations.
Dale Hodges Park is one of the largest public landscape artworks in North America developed by artists Sans façon in close collaboration with City of Calgary staff and contractors including water engineers and landscape architects. Park features make the storm water treatment process visible as it travels to the Bow River through stormwater ponds, marshes, a wet meadow, streams and riparian areas.
This park is intended to inspire curiosity and a deeper understanding of how our natural and human-made systems interact. Thousands of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers were planted throughout the greenspace recreating the natural prairie and riparian forest environments once found in the area. These plants offer food and shelter for local wildlife, including bees and butterflies. The park includes specially designed pathways and greenspaces that act as wildlife corridors allowing animals to move safely throughout the park.
Dale Hodges Park has become a sanctuary for wildlife and a beloved destination for residents and visitors alike. To learn more, visit calgary.ca and watch this video tour through the park led by those who designed the space.
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