Updated Calgary Plan Released by The City of Calgary

BILD Calgary Region Bulletin 2026 – 29

The City of Calgary has released an updated version of the Calgary Plan, which is available on the City’s website through the Calgary Plan project page.

Background:

At its March 31, 2026 Regular Meeting, Council approved the March 3 Notice of Motion (EC2026-0228), directing Administration to return with an updated version of the Calgary Plan for discussion at the June 16, 2026 Strategic Council Meeting.

Since that direction was provided, City Administration has continued engagement and technical discussions with stakeholders, including BILD Calgary Region.

As part of this process, the City’s Program team committed to two Q2 check-in sessions with BILDCR’s Planning Committee and Board members to help close the loop on feedback provided throughout the Calgary Plan engagement process over the past year.

April Check-In Session

The first session, held in April, focused on two priority themes identified jointly by BILDCR and the Program team: affordability and growth.

During the discussion, Administration outlined how feedback gathered through the five phases of engagement was being incorporated into the evolving Calgary Plan and how the document is intended to align with other major city-building initiatives, including the new Zoning Bylaw and Street Manual.

Industry participants emphasized that affordability challenges cannot be viewed through a single policy lens and that growth-related decisions, infrastructure funding, levies, approvals, servicing, and implementation processes collectively influence housing affordability, industrial competitiveness, and overall development costs.

Discussions also highlighted the importance of balancing housing supply, growth objectives, municipal servicing needs, and tax impacts through a coordinated city-building approach.

Additional discussions focused on implementation and interpretation concerns, particularly how policies, maps, and future growth areas may be applied through development review processes. Industry members noted the importance of clear policy language, consistent interpretation, staff training, and practical implementation tools to support more efficient and predictable planning and approval outcomes.

The conversation also referenced industry concerns and recommendations, including BILD Calgary Region’s previously submitted list of 69 items, building on discussions with the Program team in mid-2025.

Administration advised that an annotated (red-line) version of the Calgary Plan would be publicly released in the first half of May, followed by a second working session with industry representatives to review the document in greater detail and ensure industry feedback was clearly understood prior to the June 16 Strategic Council Meeting.

Upcoming June Session

With the updated version of the Calgary Plan now released, BILD Calgary Region’s Planning Committee and Board representatives will continue reviewing the materials and consolidating industry feedback in advance of upcoming engagement discussions with the City of Calgary.

This work will support BILD’s ongoing participation in the Calgary Plan process, including future check-in discussions with City Administration as scheduling is confirmed.

The upcoming session is intended to continue closing the loop on feedback provided throughout the Calgary Plan engagement process. Building on the earlier affordability and growth discussion, it will focus on the new May 2026 draft of Calgary Plan.

The City’s Program team will outline how feedback received through the five phases of engagement has been incorporated into the Plan and identify where major revisions and amendments have been made.

Discussions are expected to focus on:

• an overview of key changes to the draft Calgary Plan and how industry feedback has been addressed;
• follow-up on policy items raised in the April meeting;
• providing initial BILD feedback on changes to the Plan, including areas of agreement and concern; and
• an overview of anticipated next steps following the June 16 strategic Council session.

Current Process Status

BILD Calgary Region encourages members to review the updated Calgary Plan in advance of the June 16 Strategic Council Meeting and continue providing feedback through your committee discussions or by email to Deborah.Cooper@bildcr.com.

At this stage, Administration has indicated that the focus of the Calgary Plan process is on responding to and refining previously submitted feedback and preparing the May 2026 draft, based on feedback received to date, for Council consideration, rather than exploring new policy directions or new issue areas.

This reflects an approach focused on consolidating prior engagement input to support Council’s upcoming review of the updated document; however, final direction and decisions remain with Council at the June 16, 2026, Strategic Council Meeting.

Accordingly, BILD will focus on reviewing the red-line version, supporting members in identifying any remaining implementation or interpretation concerns, and consolidating issues through established City processes. Where appropriate, we will continue to bring forward member perspectives through formal engagement channels as the Calgary Plan proceeds toward Council decision.

Additional Information

For more information or to discuss items in this bulletin, please contact Deborah Cooper at deborah.cooper@bildcr.com.

For more information and to access the updated Calgary Plan, please visit the City’s Calgary Plan website.