3.3 Activity Centres
area. CACs may be located at transit stations or stops on the Primary Transit Network. The smaller land base,
Part 3
Typologies for Calgary’s future urban structure
or location relative to communities and transportation Accommodating future urban growth within transit-
networks, may limit intensification opportunities,
supportive, mixed-use Activity Centres is a fundamental
although they could add sufficient residential and
strategy for linking land use and transit. Currently,
employment uses to support higher levels of transit
Calgary’s primary Activity Centre is the Downtown.
service. CACs will accommodate a broad mix of uses
Recognizing that the Downtown and the even larger
but, generally, at lower intensity levels than the MACs.
Centre City will reach their capacity over time, it is necessary to identify and plan for other strategic areas that will support long-term employment and population growth in locations and at intensities that will support the Primary Transit Network.
within the developed areas of the city (1950s to 1990s communities) in the form of smaller commercial sites, strip malls or redeveloping public facilities. They are
level and type of transit service, the expected level of
located central to a small residential catchment area and
intensity (density of jobs and population) and their city-
provide walkable destinations for local communities.
wide location and local context. The three Activity Centre
NACs are typically served by a base level of transit
types identified from largest to smallest are:
service, though some may be located along the Primary Transit Network. NACs are appropriate sites
Major Activity Centres Major Activity Centres (MAC) are located strategically across the city to provide a major mixed-use destination central to larger residential or business catchment areas.
Primary Transit Network routes, and contain one or more transit stations or stops. The MAC builds upon existing concentrations of jobs and/or population and has a
September | 2009
Neighbourhood Activity Centres (NAC) exist primarily
Three scales of Activity Centres are identified based on
They are located along one or more of the proposed
3.3
Neighbourhood Activity Centres
to accommodate moderate intensification over time, with uses and development scales appropriate to the local context and community needs. NACs will also be an important part of new community designs. They will be locations for medium density housing (e.g., groundoriented to medium density apartments), local retail and services, community facilities and integrated transit stops.
sufficient land area to provide a high number of jobs
MACs and CACs are identified on Map 1. However,
and population to support the highest levels of transit
others, especially in the greenfield areas, could be
service. MACs will have the highest density and building
located and defined as part of a Regional Context
heights outside of Centre City, with the broadest range
Study process and an MDP amendment to Map 1. The
of land uses.
intensity for each Activity Centre, level of transit service
Community Activity Centres
and typical land uses are shown in Table 3-1.
Community Activity Centres (CAC) are located central
3.3.1 General Activity Centre policies
to a number of residential communities or business
The following policies apply to all scales of Activity
areas, on a moderately sized land base, often on current
Centres and are general in nature. Policies that are
shopping centre sites or around a specific employment
unique to specific activity centre types (MAC, CAC and NAC) are included below in this Section.
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T H E C I T Y O F C A L G A R Y M U N I C I PA L D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N