Reporting Back and Moving Forward: The Next Phase of Connect: Calgary’s Parks Plan

In spring 2023, Calgary Parks launched a city-wide engagement for Calgarians about Connect: Calgary’s Parks Plan. This project has an end goal that seeks to create a more sustainable, inclusive, and accessible park system that meets the diverse needs and expectations of Calgarians while preserving the city's natural beauty and cultural heritage. 

Connect will form the new 20-year plan for our city’s parks, based on public feedback, existing policies, Council priorities, current laws and regulations, best practices, multiple levels of government and extensive consultation with subject matter experts and interested parties.  

This work (and the outcomes) will impact every Calgarian for the next 20 years. It will touch everything Calgary parks plans, builds and operates in our city. Now, we’re reporting back to Calgarians with the results from our engagement, our proposed policy directions and what the real-world results of those policies might look like in Calgary. 

Anita O’Driscoll, Business and Policy Planner for Calgary Parks explains: “earlier this year we asked folks what they thought about Calgary’s parks— what they liked, what they loved and what they wished could change. We’ve taken all that, with all our other inputs, research and data, and created policy direction. Now we’re ensuring our vision for parks is a shared vision— one that resonates for Calgarians in their community, within their shared spaces and throughout their city.”  

The next stage of the Connect plan will see the project team out in all quadrants of the city, looking to have a conversation with Calgarians about what we heard, where we’re going and what that will look like in our communities and parks over the next 20 years.  

“We want to make sure we’ve heard Calgarians,” explains O’Driscoll, “we want you to be aware of what policy directions we’re considering based on your feedback and our other inputs. Most importantly, we want Calgarians to be able to envision what their parks will look like based on these new policies and the timeline for change.”  

From Oct. 16–Nov. 10, Calgarians are invited to give their feedback either online or at numerous engagement events and opportunities throughout the city. “We’ll be in rec centres, holding online forums, even just wandering through park spaces to have a quick chat,” says O’Driscoll. “It’s an open invitation to all Calgarians to join the conversation about the spaces we share. Now’s your chance to tell us- did we get this right? Do you like what this’ll look like in your neighbourhood? We want to hear from you – let’s talk parks!”  

Visit https://engage.calgary.ca/parksplan for a complete listing of all events (both in-person and online), and to provide feedback.