Transformative Revitalization in Alberta’s Underutilized Downtown Assets

The Civic Commons Catalyst aims to take underutilized spatial assets in the City of Calgary and catalyze them into positive assets for the community that can revitalize the downtown. In Phase I of the project, the Catalyst identified zones of opportunity so that assets can be networked together and help focus strategies for economic development and impact investment. In this Phase II of the project, The Catalyst aims to mobilize the research produced in the first year in two key ways: 1) develop at least 6 in-depth project proposals for the City of Calgary, and 2) create a catalog of civic assets for three rural communities in Alberta—culminating in a series of both private and public knowledge mobilization and dissemination activities that will include one lecture event, at least one public exhibition, and at least one regional/national forum hosted by Evergreen that can center the Alberta real estate sector’s innovative approach to the revitalization of downtowns.

Visit WebsiteExplore the Civic Commons Catalyst: Strategic Interventions Briefing Report

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Legacy Grants program supports distinctive and high-impact projects which drive transformational long-term change to advance the real estate industry and real estate across Alberta.

Amount Funded

$360,000

Year Funded

2021

Funding Priority

Real Estate Leadership: Equip real estate and related professionals with the expertise to serve the public as trusted advisors on practical and emerging property practices and issues.

Contributors

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University of Calgary, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape

With a rich, interdisciplinary design-based philosophy, an entrepreneurial mindset and a proven commitment to working with industry stakeholders, our students are prepared for meaningful professional careers that make a real, long-lasting difference.

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Civic Commons Catalyst

In 2020, the Center for Civilization at the University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL), Evergreen (a national non-profit) and Future Cities Canada, laid the foundations of the Civic Commons Catalyst (CCC) Initiative (ie. “the Catalyst”)—an interdisciplinary research and innovation platform embedded with SAPL’s City Building Design Lab (CBDLab).