Gehl kicked off this project in 2019 with a Public Space Public Life Study and a place-specific economic analysis, identifying public life gaps while highlighting the value creation of investing in Calgary’s public realm. The analysis found missing connections between key destinations along the Avenue and uneven public life patterns: active from 9-5 but sparse outside of office hours, leaving the Avenue feeling vacant and unwelcoming. 

These findings informed the project vision and roadmap that were developed to guide the transformation of Stephen Avenue. The roadmap includes goals and strategic moves, each tied to a set of quantifiable metrics to prioritize short and long-term investments. In addition, conceptual street designs were developed to jump-start the subsequent master plan process with public feedback. As the economic and cultural heart of the city, what happens Downtown has a direct impact on all Calgarians. As such, Downtown—and the Avenue—need to diversify in order to provide a more balanced mix of residential, office, retail, entertainment, tourism, and cultural offerings.

Despite the paused redevelopment of Stephen Avenue due to the Pandemic, the City of Calgary set out to test some of the ideas proposed in the Action Plan. From 2021-2022, the City launched an empty storefront activation initiative, an ambassador program in partnership with the Calgary Downtown Association, and an “Activate + Experiment” program. “Activate + Experiment’ piloted temporary installations featuring experimental furniture, artistic programming, and creative wayfinding aimed at engaging the public in the project process and providing information about the permanent redesign.

In 2023, Gehl, Stantec, and the City of Calgary finalized the Streetscape Master Plan, taking the Action Plan from vision and concept into design. Drawing on engagement outcomes, the Master Plan translates Calgarians’ aspirations for Stephen Avenue into an actionable set of design moves that considers the current and future needs of the area. This functional plan unifies the thirteen blocks of Stephen Avenue with three street typologies. Each typology responds to its specific context, rebalancing modal hierarchies and transforming a multimodal neighborhood into a commercial and cultural hub that prioritizes pedestrians. Dedicated spaces throughout the length of the Avenue set the stage for a wide variety of public and commercial programming, allowing for daily and seasonal variation to extend the use of the Avenue into the evenings and winter months.

The design also accounts for multiple intersecting projects across downtown, knitting together the Greater Downtown Calgary Plan with Stephen Avenue as the primary connector of places and people in the downtown. Gehl and Stantec worked with city staff to create an implementation strategy that outlines a plan for ongoing operation and maintenance, as well as an activation and program plan that will help ensure the Avenue continues to support and drive vibrancy in Downtown Calgary. Underlying these strategies, is a new approach to collaboration across entities and interests, formulating that ‘the Avenue’s Success = Economic Investment + Mobility & Public Space Design + Stewardship, Operations & Maintenance.’ 

The Master Plan unlocks Stephen Avenue’s potential as a catalyst for change throughout Calgary’s historic urban core, supporting a strengthened downtown neighborhood and providing essential amenities for residents, visitors, and businesses through a first-class public realm.

For more information, visit the Stephen Ave website.

As of November 2023, Gehl is proud to share the completion of the Conceptual Streetscape Master Plan.

To celebrate this milestone, Gehl Director Sofie Kvist attended the Downtown Strategy Open House in Calgary, AB. At this event, Sofie was able to engage community members in a discussion about the importance of investing in quality public spaces across downtown, with Stephen Avenue as a key connector of people and places, to serve an increasingly growing and diverse community. We’re proud to share our contribution to Calgary’s community updates, with the next phase of Stephen Avenue, a flagship project for Calgary’s Downtown Strategy.