Four years after launching a plan to revitalize Calgary’s struggling downtown, the city reports signs of progress — from increased transit ridership and property values, to a drop in social disorder calls and growing perceptions of safety. Read More
’Today isn’t just about celebrating the impressive progress we’ve made as a community. It’s about recognizing that downtown revitalization is a marathon, not a sprint,’ said Thom Mahler, director of Calgary’s downtown strategy
‘Today isn’t just about celebrating the impressive progress we’ve made as a community. It’s about recognizing that downtown revitalization is a marathon, not a sprint,’ said Thom Mahler, director of Calgary’s downtown strategy
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Four years after launching a plan to revitalize Calgary’s struggling downtown, the city reports signs of progress — from increased transit ridership and property values, to a drop in social disorder calls and growing perceptions of safety.
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At a news conference at Century Gardens on Tuesday morning, city leaders marked the release of the latest State of Downtown report, highlighting progress in the 10-year strategy to transform Calgary’s core.
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“We have achieved a major milestone,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “This is something that was intended as a 10-year plan back in 2021. Four years in, we have already accomplished a lot.
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“The vitality of our downtown matters to every one of us because it’s the heart of our city,” Gondek said. “When the core is strong, the entire city thrives. And even if you’re someone who doesn’t make it to downtown very often, the work we’re doing matters to you.”
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The city initially committed $200 million to the strategy in 2021, followed by an additional $50 million later that year. The initiative has since drawn $4 million from the province and $52.5 million in federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund. According to the city, every $1 in public investment is generating $3.50 in private-sector spending.
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Report highlights
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With more than $1 billion in public and private investment flowing into office conversions, public spaces, cultural projects and new housing, the city’s new downtown progress report highlights major strides in revitalizing the core.
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Since launching its Downtown Calgary Incentive Programs, the city has approved 11 office-to-residential conversion projects, set to create nearly 1,500 new homes — including 300 at below-market rates — and house roughly 2,400 people.
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Downtown property values have climbed by $1.8 billion since 2022, and transit ridership has rebounded past pre-pandemic levels, with more than 10 million trips logged in October 2024 alone, the city says.
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“The state of downtown is improving every day,” the report reads.
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The report also highlights a drop in calls related to social disorder from April 2024 to April 2025, along with improved perceptions of safety. Officials credit the Downtown Safety Leadership Table — which released 28 recommendations in 2024 — for the trends.
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“Since last April, we have seen a 12 per cent decrease in calls related to social disorder, public safety incidents and medical concerns in the downtown area,” said Kay Choi, director of partnerships with the City of Calgary. “We have also seen a marked improvement of Calgarians’ feeling of safety, from 73 per cent last year to 85 per cent this year.”
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Choi said the 28 recommendations offered “a road map” for action.
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“We’re actually seeing results,” she said. “We’re moving the needle on safety.”
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‘More work to do’
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While celebrating the success, Choi says the city is “moving with purpose” to continue addressing safety concerns.
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“There’s still much work to be done and we remain deeply committed to continuing to tackle these issues in collaboration with our partners.”
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Thom Mahler, director of Calgary’s downtown strategy, agrees that the work isn’t over.
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“Today isn’t just about celebrating the impressive progress we’ve made as a community. It’s about recognizing that downtown revitalization is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said.
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He pointed to the 2014 oil price crash and the pandemic as catalysts for the initiative, which aims to boost downtown property values and ultimately shift property tax burdens away from homeowners.
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Speaking to reporters, Mark Garner, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association, was cautiously optimistic about the progress but called the milestone a “moment of celebration.”
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“I think everybody is envious of what’s happening in downtown and there’s a good plan,” he said. “It’s a marathon, and there are checkpoints in between.
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“There’s always more work to do,” he added, noting concerns remain among downtown businesses about safety. “We still have encampments, open consumption, a lot of graffiti, so we’ve got to go after those things as well, because we’re still not attracting people from . . . surrounding suburban areas to come downtown.”
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‘We need to keep improving’
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Downtown resident Nikolas Florez, originally from Colombia, said he was assaulted on the CTrain shortly after moving to Calgary nearly two years ago — an experience that left him concerned about public safety on transit and in downtown, where he works.
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Since then, Florez has been advocating for improved safety and more visible police presence across the city.
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“Knowing that Canada and Calgary is one of the safest places that I’ve been, one of my main concerns is if I want to have a family, I’m not sure if I want them taking the public transportation,” he said, noting he witnesses frequent altercations on transit. “I’m trying to (make) Calgary a better place to grow my family.”
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While he’s seen “little improvements” in the past couple of years, Florez says he still hears about people being assaulted, pointing to incidents at LRT stations and near Bow Valley College, where he was previously a student.
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“We need to keep improving,” he said. “We need to have more conversation about (safety) . . . because it’s something that could get worse.”
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