east village master plan - calgary herald...lated in 2008 and presented in the premier issue of eve,...

east village master plan executive summary

the newest oldest coolest warmest neighbourhood in town

East Village is a big piece of downtown Calgary – 120 acres sandwiched east and west between 3rd Street SE (back of city hall, Bow Valley College and the YWCA) and the Fort Calgary lands all the way up to the Elbow River. The southern border of East Village is 9th Avenue SE, and its northern edge is the Bow River.

East Village sits on the eastern edge of downtown Calgary, but not so long ago, East Village was downtown in its entirety. Calgary was founded here in 1875; East Village streets were home to blacksmiths and newspapers and hotels and copshops and big shots and workers and dreamers.

Today, East Village is home to very few buildings but lots of very big ideas about how it can be a key part of downtown once more.

The most livable urban areas in the world inspired our master planners – Broad-way Malyan – to transform East Village into an urban village: a place of consid-erable density with many different kinds of residences – apartments, condos and townhomes – but no single family homes on large lots. It will have a “mixed use” character, meaning that a single building can house both residences and businesses, which is key to creating life on the street day and night.

East Village will be designed first for people and will also accommodate cars. Public transit is already in place. Streets are laid out so that our neighbours and residents will be able to walk from one place to another safely and easily.

And our urban village will offer spectacular public meeting areas which willInspire our youth and honour arts and culture.

With the urban village principle as a guide, Broadway Malyan created our mas-ter plan. This master plan provides a vision for how East Village will become an urban village, and how it will look in 2020.

Frankly, you’re not going to believe your eyes. And when East Village gets built, you’re not going to believe your nose, ears or taste buds, either. The urban vil-lage that East Village will become is another kind of Calgary – it looks different and it feels different. You’ll walk around and it’ll look good, smell great and taste delicious because there’ll be intriguing places to eat, fabulous window shopping to do, new places to work and live, interesting people to watch and friends to visit. It’ll be a living and breathing place.

Welcome to East Village – the newest, oldest, coolest, warmest neighbourhood in town. The place where Calgary comes together at last.

chris OllenbergerPresident & CEo

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC)

2 EAST VILLAGE MASTER PLAN executive summary EAST VILLAGE MASTER PLAN executive summary 3

a visiON FOr east viLLaGe 4-9

BacKGrOuND 10-11

master PLaN aPPrOacH 12-13

site aNaLysis 14-15

tarGet marKet stuDies 16-17

urBaN DesiGN PriNciPLes 18-21

strateGic Layers OF tHe master PLaN 22-23

urBaN DesiGN GuiDeLiNes 24-25

iLLustrative master PLaN 26-27

Key cOrriDOrs 28-29

tHe riFF 30-31

table of contents

4 EAST VILLAGE MASTER PLAN executive summary

a vision for east villagethe idea of regenerating east village as an urban village was the fruit of a thoughtful visioning process, involving planners and the public, that began in earnest prior to 2003. it was the first success-ful step forward for the area since the development of the flyovers and Lrt in the 1970s.

For decades, east village has been shunned by the city centre and known for marginal uses that have tainted public perceptions of the area – despite the fact that the site is located on a desirable stretch of riverfront with strategic road and Lrt connections, is adjacent to business, civic and cultural centres, and overlooks one of the city’s largest urban open spaces.

as the idea of an urban village took hold, cmLc began to articulate the key characteristics of the place, both the facts – the built envi-ronment, the attributes of its landscape – and the feelings, the over-arching way “ev” will be perceived. together, these differentiating characteristics, both real and perceived, make up the east village vision and its ‘sense of place’. they tell us what ev will be like long before the foundations are poured on the first new building. and as the project progresses, developers, the media and the public can refer back to the vision to understand what makes east village, east village.

EAST VILLAGE MASTER PLAN executive summary 5

east village’s Gateway area will create a new sense of arrival to downtown calgary.


the factsthe facts are these: east village sits on the edge of the city centre and at a junction of politi-cal, educational and business activity. it forms a transition between the high rise towers of the existing business core, the mixed-use Beltline district and the natural environment of the river-front, st. Patricks island and the parkland of Fort calgary. east village seeks to bind together the city core, its nature and people, by means of a new community with human scale develop-ment and a vibrant creative culture - an urban habitat that borrows from the best examples of international city-building.

in the east village vision, it is a place centred on innovation, exemplified by its architecture and streetscape quality. it captures the imagination of creative professionals and attracts small specialist organizations and businesses. it is also a magnet for visitors, who are attracted by its colorful, vibrant small-scale attractions and relaxed atmosphere.

east village will grow into its surroundings, informing the redevelopment of the adjoining rail town site south of 9th avenue se. the spirit of east village will also extend outwards along the river edge to st. Patrick’s island, renewing the urban parkland as part of this benchmark revital-ization plan.

east village will be a model for future development, providing an irresistible opportunity to live, work and play in a single location, and offering a long-awaited setting for cultural exuberance, entertainment, activity and adventure.

an artist’s conceptual rendering of east village from above 9th avenue looking north towards the Bow river.

the riverWalk will provide engaging new public spaces along the Bow river and features a proposed boutique hotel on the plaza.


the feelingthe physical characteristics of a renewed east village paint a vivid picture of a neighbourhood virtually reborn. But our attachment to places are made emotionally rather than logically, and part of the visioning process was held to articulate how calgarians would connect to the neigh-bourhood on an emotional level. the intangible elements that make up the ‘feel’ of east village – the other, equally important half of an understanding of its sense of place – were first articu-lated in 2008 and presented in the premier issue of eve, east village experience magazine. they appear here in an abridged form.

east viLLaGe Has aN ‘OFF tHe GriD’ eNerGy: HumaN. aLterNative. creative.

It will take every kind of energy – and every ounce of ingenuity – to raise up East Village. The effort to reboot this city neighbourhood will leave no rock unturned and no idea unconsidered, making East Village a bold, unprecedented experiment in the future of city life, an urban labo-ratory not only for Calgary and Alberta, but also for Canada. In the capital city of conventional resources, where fossil fuels are king, East Village will be a model of sustainability, embracing innovation, contemporary values, culture and arts. What fuels us is possibility; what keeps us going is a ‘what if’, firing on all cylinders, gushing out of the ground. You heard it here first: East Village is the next boom.

east viLLaGe is cONFLueNce aND cONNectiON: rivers meet Here. miNDs meet Here. caLGary meets Here.

The urban village that is East Village is Calgary for all. It is the ‘there there’ of the city, taking the sprawl out and drawing all kinds of people in toward the junction of the Bow and Elbow rivers. With an unrivaled range of amenities within comfortable walking distance, East Village is truly urban, a must-be-experienced destination for locals and visitors alike. on land considered choice for 3,000 years, East Village is an intersection where possibilities run deep: the flow-ing together of ambition and curiosity, art, creative intellect and counter-culture opinion will combine to define the future of the city, while the stories of the past will be recounted afresh. In events and programming, housing and shopping experiences, East Village will make far-flung Calgarians neighbours, providing the street corners where they bump into one another and the places where they will share common interests. As they live, work and play here, get to know one another and deepen ties, the attachment to East Village evolves, becoming emotional and irresistible. All rivers lead here. To the magnetic east.

east viLLaGe is a LiviNG DOWNtOWN WaterFrONt: Live Near it. Dream By it. FLOat ON it.

The river touches Calgary in many places, but it is in East Village that the riverfront will truly touch Calgarians, the neighbourhood that helps them realize that they live in a true riverfront city. Day and night, winter and summer, the Bow riverfront – its waters forever clear and invit-ing – is a resident of East Village, eager to get acquainted: Villagers will walk and bike it on their way to and from work, make reservations at the restaurants on its banks – the better to enjoy wide decks near its murmuring waters – and raft down it on weekends. In winter, it will be a stage of icy allure and multiple attractions. A park that is part of every day, it will also become part of any night, with lighting that makes it securely inviting and artistically intriguing. And in its innovative landscaping, it makes beauty of the brown months, creatively mixing grasses with historical roots in the area with modern places to sit, contemplate and recharge by the current.

the eve (east village experience) Block is designed to offer a cinema, fitness centre and a variety of retail shops around a unique glass- covered plaza.

east village’s Parkside area will offer a mix of multi- family housing bordering the Fort calgary parkland.

BacKGrOuND

EAST VILLAGE MASTER PLAN executive summary 11 10 EAST VILLAGE MASTER PLAN executive summary

To realize the vision, both the practical and the poetic aspects of it, the Calgary Municipal Land Corpora-tion was struck. CMLC is organized and operated as an independent development company. It has a 20-year time-frame within which to return borrowed revenue derived from new private urban development.It funds its annual costs by diverting future tax earnings from the forecasted redevelopment of the overall Rivers District. As such, CMLC is under pressure to rapidly restore the brownfield to productive re-use to prove its accountability.

cmLc’s aPPrOacH tO reGeNeratiONCMLC has the City of Calgary’s mandate to prepare East Village for redevelopment, broadly following the street pattern inferred in the Area Redevelopment Plan.

cmLc’s streNGtH is iN:• Land ownership - it owns or controls over 50% of the developable land in East Village,• Influence - it has strong relationships with City Hall and the development community,• Co-ordination - it works with third parties on and off site to deliver a product that will benefit the whole city.

FOrGiNG aHeaDCMLC has made substantial progress in upgrading the area’s infrastructure by:• Improving the quality of discharge into the Bow River by introducing a storm-water quality improvement system at Fort Calgary,• Flood-plain raising,• Renewing the streetscape with a new and consistent palette of trees, paving materials and street furniture components,• Designing and constructing RiverWalk,• Developing new play and amenity facilities for local residents.

PreParatiON OF tHe master PLaNIn Autumn 2008, CMLC organized an international competition to appoint an urban design practice to provide advice on the master plan for the redevelopment of the area. The master plan would build on the objectives and principles set out in the East Village ARP, respect the established street grid and provide the framework for the regeneration and development of East Village into a vibrant mixed-use creative city quarter – a fully integrated project and a high quality opportunity for residents, business owners, property owners and developers alike.

The teams presented their submissions in December. CMLC’s Board unanimously awarded the project to Broadway Malyan for its innovative and contemporary approach to the area’s regeneration.

Between January and June 2009, CMLC and their consultant team have been working to integrate the master plan with parallel initiatives and ongoing work including:

• Studies to determine the market sectors that will drive the redevelopment of East Village• Retail and leisure strategies• RiverWalk proposals developed by a broad team of experts• Infrastructure work• The 4th Street underpass• Urban brand and identity concepts for East Village.

The master plan is summarized in the following pages.

master PLaN aPPrOacH

URBAN REGENERATIoN EAST VILLAGE, CALGARY 13


The master plan shown in this document represents CMLC’s approach to the revitalization of East Village. It respects and reflects the many other studies and known constraints and opportunities for this part of Calgary and provides a framework to achieve the objectives set out in the East Village ARP.

In its aim to transform an area of poor development quality into a prosperous mixed-use sustainable com-munity in Calgary’s downtown, the master plan identifies a strong pattern of uses, activities and built form for each part of the site, and yet leaves room for individual expression as the community evolves.

The plan incorporates a range of parcels which are equally capable of being delivered in small steps or as a single rolling development project undertaken through a mixed use development consortium. The plan is designed to deliver best value – both in terms of regeneration benefits to satisfy the needs of future resi-dents and visitors and in financial returns to development and investor partners rebuilding the area.

Moving forward, the plan will be further developed as a series of development briefs covering each parcel with flexible site-specific design guidelines. Thereafter, it is envisaged that private sector organizations will come forward to develop the area in phases. This process of redevelopment is expected to last for 10-15 years during which time the area’s population is likely to grow from its present 2,050 inhabitants up to 11,500 residents who will mix with visitors to its shops, leisure attractions and employment centres.

FOcussiNG ON PLacemaKiNGThe master plan is shaped around the concept of “livability” – the key ingredients of successful contemporary urban neighbourhoods. CMLC’s approach to Placemaking includes the following essential components:

• Sustainable community development• Promoting environmental, economic and social responsibility as the future urban model• Integration with context to encourage access from surrounding areas• Land use flexibility to encourage development in changing market conditions,• A rich mix of uses, building types, and potential tenure arrangements,• Clear spatial enclosure and streetscape definition,• Strong identity with an architectural attitude,• Permeable, dense form interwoven with public uses to animate the ground floor,• Mitigated traffic impact and high quality public transport,• Scale built form that respects the local geography,• A range of streetscapes and urban spaces varying in character and function,• Creativity and ethical tolerance to promote com-pact urban living, coexistence and diverse cultural activity,• Staged implementation, building identity and value at each step.

saFety By DesiGNThe master plan seeks to avoid the occurrence of secluded public spaces to ensure people feel safe and comfortable at all times in East Village. The pro-posals feature aligned facades that directly address hierarchy of streets and spaces which efficiently distribute traffic across and through the master plan. Spaces have been defined and enclosed by positive uses with extended sightlines from the apartments and commercial uses lining the streets at ground level and above. Experience has shown this to be a successful model in dealing with petty street crime, allowing the public realm to be under the watchful eyes of both the resident and visiting populations, thereby discouraging anti-social behaviour. The plan has been drafted in unison with CMLC’s streetscape proposals which specify high illumination levels along public thoroughfares, and pedestrian facilities that reflect the needs of people of all ages and abili-ties. The residential streets have been designed to slow traffic speeds to minimize conflict with pedes-trians.

a FLexiBLe master PLaNMarket conditions are presently in a state of flux and it is crucial to develop concepts that can adapt to evolving market conditions. It is important to find gaps in the city’s current offer that resonate with the context of East Village: Calgary is characterized by its high rise apartments and low density residential suburban development, but between these extremes there is little in the city representing the traditional scale and density that is found in most successful developments, and in cities as diverse as New York, Boston, London, Paris, Barcelona, Vancouver and Toronto.

Deliverability has also been a key driver. It is crucial that the proposals for each phase, character area and parcel are robust, flexible and defendable prior to being brought forward for redevelopment and operation. The master plan will be delivered parcel-by-parcel through a carefully phased series of indi-vidual projects, each planned in negotiation with the relevant private stakeholders, including developers, civic institutions and potential future tenants.

NeW BuiLDiNG styLes aND NeW cHaracterThe East Village master plan ideas have been devel-oped by CMLC and its master planning team led by Broadway Malyan and appointed experts, including engineers, planners and market strategists. All sup-port the development of the basic building typolo-gies set out in the ARP to characterize the redevel-opment of East village, giving it recognizable form and a contemporary feel that sits at ease with the retained historical buildings. The master plan illus-trates how building typologies can bring a domestic scale of development to the city centre and offer Calgarians new opportunities for urban living – namely, residential accommodation integrated with commercial, retail, food & beverage, leisure and com-munity uses to activate the streetscape and revital-ize the city centre day and night.

mixeD-uses aND NeW LiNKsThe master plan seeks to create a cluster of mixed use activity, with music venues, shops, bars/lounges, a cinema and nearby specialty retail outlets in a range of formats to create a vibrant hub where people can browse, meet, relax and take in the atmo-sphere of East Village. Such a cluster is not new to Calgary; current examples include Stephen Avenue, Kensington and 17th Avenue SE. However, the master plan for East Village provides a framework for it to become a distinctive new neighbourhood in the city. The East Village hub is linked by the city grid and a new pedestrian diagonal route referred to as The Riff that leads to the Bow River edge and is brought to life with new paths, spaces, cafes and restaurants that celebrate the city’s interface with the river and the historic park at Fort Calgary.

2. Existing Buildings Four historic buildings dating from around the turn of the century are to be retained and refurbished to accommodate new uses. More recent buildings would also generally be retained, and accompanied by adjacent new development. Refer to the annotated photograph left: (*please note: this is not a complete list)

2a Seniors’ apartments - parcels ideally intensified;2b Seniors’ apartments, shop & club - in active use; 2c St Louis Hotel - to be refurbished;2d Hillier/ King Eddy - to be refurbished;2e Salvation Army - in active use;2f 6th Street residential apartments - in active use;2g Drop-In Centre - in active use.2h Simmons Building - refurbished (offices), future pub.

1. LRTCalgary’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) system services the city centre and reaches out to the suburbs. Its success has prompted an ongoing programme of improvements including: • Network extensions• A new station stop on the south side of 9th Avenue at Rail Town• Platform upgrades to accommodate 4-coach trains

Track geometries prohibit a station stop at East Village and the line cuts through the streetscape which inhibits cross movement. The lines converge at 3rd Street/ 7th Avenue and the nearest stops are at City Hall and Memorial Drive.

3. Downtown EdgeThe buildings on the west side of 3rd Street presently define the east edge of Calgary’s downtown. The scale of transition is made more apparent by the stark mirror glass facade of City Hall, and continued by the redeveloped Bow Valley College and new residential riverside development.

The plots framing the east side of 3rd Street comprise surface car parking, a multi-storey parkade or low buildings unlikely to remain. Present massing suggests the scale of buildings on the east side could closely match the west side to strengthen the character of the road corridor and optimize development density reflecting the site’s proximity to city centre amenities.

Public Realm CMLC is undertaking streetscape and utility improvements to make the entire development of East Village deliverable. The works will raise the streets and plots above the flood plain and will be finished using a selected palette of materials and components that will characterize East Village and complement surrounding uses like RiverWalk.

These improvements will yield new parcels of developable land near the LRT and highway flyovers and will connect East Village with Stampede via a new underpass link beneath the rail lines.

Other opportunity areas include two neighbourhood piazzas and the creation of a heritage quarter at 8th Ave.

4. RiverWalk The Bow River is a spectacular and ever-changing asset that appears under-utilised in this area at present. The lack of development at East Village and high relative level of unsavory or illegal uses can make the foot path and cycle route feel unsafe despite the area’s unique appeal and potential. CMLC is radically improving the RiverWalk, initially from Centre Street to Fort Calgary and thereafter to the west bank of the Elbow River. This will raise awareness of East Village development opportunities and will be accompanied by improved open space management and riverfront cafes. It is anticipated that the same approach will lead to the improvement of St Patrick’s Island and the link to Memorial Drive LRT station via a new foot/cycle bridge over the Bow.

site aNaLysis

2h

2g

4

3

12c

2f2a

2b2a

2d2e


cOmPLexity OF tHe site

The site at East Village is layered with diverse con-straints and opportunities. It accommodates historic buildings, dense infrastructure networks and “diffi-cult to integrate” land uses within a sensitive riverine landscape context. over 50% of the site is controlled by CMLC and the remaining parcels are generally in diverse private ownerships. Site planning is governed by land use bylaws each with individual massing con-cepts, broadly following the 2005 ARP. The site offers scope for the additional, mixed-use urban model cur-rently missing from the city’s structure.

This section identifies many of the key factors the master plan has addressed.

To capture these future residents, East Village needs to capitalize on its natural strengths (such as the river front) and to develop new strengths through the implementation of the master plan. East Village must cultivate a diverse but vibrant street culture that passionately pursues a broad spectrum of points of view and forms of expression. In retail this means boutique shops that emphasize unique style.

Restaurants and bars should aspire to innovation, providing new culinary experiences for their patrons. Entertainment should range from cafes to dance clubs, art galleries to athletic clubs. Living accommodations should be aesthetically and environmentally minded. The message for future residents is that: “East Village is built around you... the way you live, work and play.” East Village is being built from the ground up, with the needs of the residents in mind.

THE END RESULT, AS ENVISIoNED IN THE MASTER PLAN, WILL oFFER FIVE kEy ELEMENTS, WHICH ARE IMPoRTANT To URBAN ExPLoRERS AND UNIqUE IN CALgARy:

• A NEW WAY of LIVING – modern and ecologically-friendly housing• A DIVERSE AND ToLERANT CoMMUNITY with a sense of place• A WALkABLE CoMMUNITY – built for pedestrians, with the ability to walk to the office and come home for lunch• 24/7 ENTERTAINMENT, cultural and dining options• ACCESS To ThE oUTDooRS – integrated biking, rafting and jogging.

In order to deliver on these promises, East Village will need to use its master plan to help coordinate the involvement of a variety of skilled developers, setting a direction that meets the needs of the target residents.


tarGet marKet stuDiesBy rOLaND BerGer


To help determine the market for East Village and develop a profile of its potential residents, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants undertook a Marketing Strategy Development project. The group’s study, commissioned prior to the master plan, was designed in part to answer these key questions: Who will first call East Village home? What will these people want – and how will East Village provide it?

Roland Berger looked at the future East Village residents to supply the answers:

Future east viLLaGe resiDeNtsFor future East Village Residents, the goal is to create a virtuous circle – identify what types of Calgarians would likely live in East Village and what they want from an urban community – and then define what East Village can offer to attract those individuals. Ultimately, there should be a strong fit between the types of Calgarians interested in East Village and the “idea” of East Village as expressed in the master plan.

Roland Berger surveyed nearly 2,000 Calgarians to understand their core values and living needs. Each individual was assessed based on their interest in the

types of opportunities that a city has to offer. These opportunities include: atmosphere, culture, natural landscape and educational landscape. Individuals were grouped based on similar likes (green) and dislikes (red).

Through this process, RB identified three fundamental segments that make up the city’s current and likely future population:

of these core segments, Urban Explorers best matched East Village’s planned identity and offer. Urban Explorers can be students, younger or older singles, couples and even families – what unites them is a preference for vibrant urban surroundings over suburban living and an interest in culture, events, restaurants, boutique shopping and the other stimulations of city life.

Urban Explorers live life for its passions – sports, romance, friends, cuisine, art, entertainment. They value diversity in people and variety in the activities to which they devote their time. Urban Explorers care about the planet and the other people with whom they share it. The younger among them are often athletic and involved in creative pursuits, love travel and crave novelty and new places. Couples are active and socially sophisticated and take advantage of all the cultural stimulations of city life, from restaurants to gallery openings. East Village families are equally aware and active in city life and determined to share its rich culture and social life with their offspring.

1. resourceful rationalists Thrifty, practical, and security- minded Calgarians

Interested in: affordability • proximity to partner/family • attending public events • discount shopping•green spaces

Less interested in: modern infrastructure • quality of educational institutions

2. Foundation Builders Calgary’s diligent and ambitious planners of the future

Interested in: sound business environment • excellent schools • modern infrastructure • proximity to family • reasonable cost of living

Less interested in: leisure • cultural activities

3. urban explorers The passionate, thrill-seeking, environmentally conscious of Calgary.

Interested in: leisure and cultural activities

Less interested in: cost of living • family orientation • modern infrastructure • business environment • educational landscape

URBAN EXPLoRER: STUDENT

SINGLE

PRofESSIoNAL

CoUPLE fAMILY


urBaN DesiGN PriNciPLesKey Drivers

8 Key urBaN DesiGN PriNciPLes:

• resPectiNG cONtext

• creatiNG cHaracter & iDeNtity

• mixeD-uses & Diversity

• FLexiBiLity

• QuaLity PuBLic reaLm

• arcHitecturaL iNNOvatiON

• ease OF mOvemeNt (iNcLuDiNG

cOmFOrt iN cOLD cONDitiONs)

• sustaiNaBiLity

Public art will become part of an integrated public realm strategy to create interest and improve legibility. Cloud Gate sculpture, Millennium Park, Chicago

Creating high quality, civic spaces for public events. Federation Sq, Melbourne.

The streetscape hierarchy of paths and roads, avenues and boulevards, punctuated by squares and spaces brings legibility to the neighbourhood.

Fort Calgary is located on the east side of East Village.

East Village benefits from the close proximity to the CBD core.


East Village Master

Plan is founded on

8 key Urban Design

Principles that re-

flect the key urban

regeneration ideas

developed during

the master planning

process, the aspira-

tions of CMLC, the

area’s wider policy

context and the Area

Redevelopment Plan

(ARP).

respecting context

Designing forms and

features that sit sym-

pathetically with the

site’s topography

and heritage while

championing the

development as a

downtown exemplar.

• The built form

should scale down

towards Fort Calgary

and Bow River to

provide a cohesive,

attractive frame for

the open spaces

without dominating

them.

• The scale of de-

velopment should

strengthen the ap-

proach gateways and

urban corridors. The

exit points from the

street grid should

intersect with Riv-

erWalk, St Patrick’s

Island and Fort

Calgary.

• The retained

historic buildings

should be adapted to

accommodate new

uses, to regain their

sense of place and

function.

creating character & identity

Using placemaking

principles and work-

ing with the existing

fabric and elements

of East Village to

promote the area

as a culturally di-

verse, vibrant urban

lifestyle model for

Calgary.

• The Cantos Na-

tional Music Centre

at the King Eddy,

with its powerful de-

sign and purpose, is

the kind of proposal

that will transform

the character of East

Village.

• Landscape and

architectural features

should draw atten-

tion and activity to

key nodes and civic

spaces to reinforce

the vision and master

plan.

• Artists and art

installations assist in

shaping the area’s

identity; CMLC plans

to drive a year-round

events programme

of music, art, dance,

theatre and cinema.

mixed uses & Diversity

fostering a sense

of community by

promoting street

activity through the

creation of a self-

sustaining, mixed-

use urban village.

East Village will be a

balanced mix of uses

and demograph-

ics distributed as a

series of distinctive

clusters with access

to public transport

and local employ-

ment. Clusters will

include:

• Residential areas

of varying densities,

size, type and afford-

ability in response

to the demands of a

diverse population

to encourage mixed

tenure.

• City-wide leisure

and cultural destina-

tions which charac-

terize the area and

draw people into

East Village from the

wider urban catch-

ment. This could

include museums,

galleries or music

venues as well as

a mix of outdoor

spaces for perfor-

mance activities,

• Community Servic-

es, including strategi-

cally positioned local

shops, health care,

civic and educational

facilities woven into a

framework of public

spaces to collectively

form a series of com-

munity cores.

a Flexible urban structure

A mixed-use master

plan for a new

community should

be robust enough

to clearly define

streeetscapes and

indicate the spatial

limitations of the

development, yet

be flexible enough

to accommodate

a range of suitable

uses so that the plan

can be realized in

fluctuating market

conditions.

• Respective parcel

envelopes can there-

fore organize the

phasing and delivery

process and define

setbacks, height and

massing, yet floor to

ceiling heights can

be designed to suit

economic conditions.

• This also means

that a building

constructed initially

for one use can be

adapted in later

years without the

need for demolition.

urBaN DesiGN PriNciPLesKey Drivers

Quality Public realm

Creating a cohesive,

legible, attractive

network of connect-

ed streetscapes and

open spaces with

individual character.

architectural innovation

An architecture that

is socially, economi-

cally culturally and

environmentally

responsive and has

the ability to change

to future needs.

• East Village

provides an

opportunity

to reinterpret

architectural

styles to address

current local socio-

economic, cultural

and environmental

issues. The aim is to

create a diversity of

architectural styles

at varying levels of

cost, scale, mass

and density in order

to provide choice,

interest and variety.

• As a priority,

new architectural

solutions will aim to

provide a range of

new housing options

to attract future

residents to settle in

East Village. As part

of the sustainability

strategy, innovative

architectural

solutions that

maximise resource

efficiency and

manage the climate

will be encouraged.

• Certain locations

within the master

plan demand

special treatment to

“landmark” particular

vistas. Exceptional

architecture needs

to be understood on

its own merits and

should be sited to

take full advantage

of the increased cost

of construction.

• East Village has

been subject to

extensive planning

policy review. The

area’s specific Land

use Bylaws and Area

Redevelopment

Plan ensure key

principles and

design qualities are

respected, including

mitigation against

shadow impact.

Future architectural

solutions must

comply with the

bylaws and ARP as

well as respect the

design guidance

contained within this

document.

ease Of movement

The East Village

master plan is de-

signed to integrate

the city grid with its

river edge setting

with extended ser-

vice proposals to link

the site with down-

town, Stampede Park

and Beltline areas.

• The master plan will

promote walkable

accessible routes for

its new residents.

Active frontages and

efficient direct links

will draw people from

the city’s downtown

to East Village. This

will include improved

connections to the

LRT and bus stops

and new links across

the Bow River to

Bridgeland. The

master plan expands

upon the hierarchy

of routes and spaces

outlined in the East

Village ARP. These

will connect with the

Plus15 system with

the emphasis on

bringing people back

down to street level,

to provide a potential

range of covered or

enclosed spaces for

use in all seasons.

• Each avenue and

street should have

a parallel alignment,

consistent set-back

and street width

commensurate with

its capacity and

function within

the hierarchy.

Broader streets

will accommodate

heavier traffic flows

to be characterized

by larger format

commercial

frontages.

Conversely, narrow

pedestrian streets

will accommodate

fine grain frontage

activity.

sustainability

The East Village

master plan is an

opportunity to inter-

pret and apply new

and emerging green

technologies.

• A key aim of the

master plan is to

create a compact,

self-contained com-

munity of residents

that has the option

to live in close proxi-

mity to business

and employment in

the downtown core,

while providing good

access to the city’s

amenities via public

transport. Buildings

will be encouraged

to attain LEED, Built

Green or similar

standards, while in

the master plan the

community overall is

being assessed for

LEEDS ND.

• The Enmax District

Energy Centre can

be used to pro-

vide the district

with an efficient

and economical

source of heating.

Photo Voltaic and

roof mounted

micro-generating

technologies are

developing rapidly to

supplement energy

and hot water.

Buildings can include

atria that allow solar

gain to cool buildings

through stack effect

ventilation. Where

possible the plan will

encourage orien-

tating buildings to

optimize solar gain,

and possibly even to

use the melt waters

of the Bow River for

cooling purposes.

The master plan’s objective is to deliver a high quality public realm with a variety of experiences.

Cycling and walking will be encouraged throughout East Village.

A bus network will improve access to, from and within East Village.

Imaginative spaces, regardless of their size, can provide an escape from the busy urban environment.

Innovative and exciting buildings can define character of the area and accompanied by quality public realm encourage activities around it.

Exciting buildings will punctuate the master plan to project new character, draw footfall and extend the area’s capacity.

Sustainability is central to the ethos of the Master Plan, featuring environmentally friendly approaches to land use, transport, energy use and recycling through sustainable methods of transportation, recycling etc.



strateGic LayersOF tHe master PLaNThe East Village master plan is structured around a number of strategic layers, which together inform the composition of each character area and parcel. The master plan comprises six character areas, which have been evaluated in further detail in the pages that follow.

The parcels in the north west portion of the development form a revitalized gateway to East Village and Calgary’s downtown. A community building of unique architectural form is proposed to transform the area by the fly-overs, creating an opportunity on what is currently derelict land.

The importance of transition parcels of the west side has been recognized. The master plan takes the existing massing and density into account by providing the western area with appropriate heights and mix of uses, while modeling the elevations on

6th Avenue to reflect its importance as a key East Village/downtown corridor link.

The river edge parcels in the north east part of the development lining RiverWalk are recognized to be of high recreational value. Development constraints and opportunities have been established and reflected in the massing and mix of uses along the waterfront.

The opportunities and attributes of the park edge on the east side have been acknowledged. The design takes advantage of the visual amenity of Fort Calgary and its surrounding parkland.

The central part of the site will be the core of East Village, with the EVE Block at the heart of the new neighbourhood. The uses and qualities of EVE Block are explained in the following pages of the document.

N

N

N

St Patricks’s Island



TheGateway

River’s Edge

Downtown

Fort Calgary

Parkside

4th StreetGateway

FortCalgary

(green edge)

East VillageSite


Scaling down

Scaling down

The Riff

Key route

to/fro

m Airp

ort

3rd

Str

ee

t

5th

Str

ee

t

Impermeable Edge

Downtown(urban edge)

Downtown(urban edge)

Bow River

(‘blue’ edge)

4th

Str

ee

t9th Avenue

THE CROSS-ING

TransitionZone

(Downtown Core to East

Village)

Layer ONe - Key eDGesThe site’s edges have been evaluated on the basis of their opportunities and constraints, the qualities they represent and the connectivity they offer. This evaluation helps to establish the following: • The north and east sides are characterized by soft, landscape and extended views, which offer visual and recreational amenities to the future develop-ment of East Village.• The west side is an urban edge, presenting struc-tured views of the cluster of towers, while providing proximity and links to the amenities of Calgary’s downtown core.• The south edge is currently an empty, imperme-able strip of railway land. Future development op-portunities encapsulated in the Rail Town proposals. By 2011, the completed 4th Street underpass will connect East Village with the Beltline and Stam-pede Park districts to permeate this edge and draw crowds of visitors to East Village.

Layer tWO - OveraLL DeveLOPmeNt massiNGThe green and open eastern edge of Fort Calgary is in marked contrast with the high density, towering form of the downtown core. Similarly, the Bow River edge will (in the longer-term future) sit in contrast with the towering forms proposed for the Rail Town project. East Village performs the role of an archi-tectural bridge between these polarized conditions. A sliding scale in height transition will see East Vil-lage accommodate a range of building typologies from high-rise towers and ribbon blocks to four-storey townhouses that reconcile the city edge with its natural setting.

Layer tHree - Key cOrriDOrs & tHe GriDThe base of a successful master plan is connectivity and ability to merge with the existing urban frame-works of the surrounding areas. The East Village master plan connects with the existing grain of the city and creates a new framework, which should in-fluence connectivity to the south of the site. The Riff has been introduced to give East Village a unique experience and character, while improving perme-ability and legibility. CMLC has also constructed Riverfront Avenue, the RiverWalk and the 4th Street Connector.


Key cOrriDOrskey corridors integrate East Village with its urban and natural setting. Each corridor has its unique characterizing features that underpin the master plan’s placemaking strategy.

Primary and secondary movement corridors are identified as part of the hierarchy of circulation infrastructure and public realm.

The diagram below highlights where paths and roads form the edges and gateways into East Village and where key spaces should be located, characterizing the main pedestrian routes that permeate the site.

8th Avenue

Stephen Avenue

6th Avenue

3rd Street

Civic Corridor

6th Street

Park CorridorMews Corridor

St Patrick’s Island

4th Street UnderpassFuture High Speed Rail

4th Street

Bridge

RiverWalk

River Approach

Downtown Junction

Pebble Space

Rail Junction

Civic Crossing

City Square

Village Mews

Residential Mews

Station Street

Leisure Space

4th Street Gateway East Gateway

Cross Roads

8th Avenue

Station FrontStation Square

Community Square

Park Gates

5th Street

Neighbourhood Corridor

RiverWalk

River Corridor

9th Avenue

Gateway Corridor

7th Avenue

LRT + Bus Transport Corridor

Rail Transport Corridor

riverWaLK

The river and nature experience of Calgary - a new pedestrian promenade and cycle route along the Bow River edge, connecting Prince’s Island Park to the Stampede grounds - linking the key open spaces and parks as a chain of events.

tHe riFF

An informal pedestrian connector- a corridor which cuts through the grid at an angle - a range of different spaces and buildings - a shortcut through East Village - a diverse range of venues and amenities.The Riff is a potential arts expo route, a trail of contemporary sculpture, produced by the creative residents of East Village.

5tH street NeiGHBOurHOOD cOrriDOr

Direct route to the river from 9th Avenue - an experience of both the urban and residential East Village. A distinctive residential square provides a community hub. 5th Street will be the primary link for visitors arriving at the future high speed train and LRT stations.

6tH street ParK cOrriDOr

A green edge to East Village - transition from urban to park edge, fronted by homes of the highest quality. The edge features communal gardens, park space and distinctive gateways leading visitors to Fort Calgary. The corridor is anchored by landmark buildings on the river and at Rail Town.

4tH street Leisure cOrriDOr

The central axis of East Village - facing strips of active frontages, diverse venues and events - a “Greenwich Village Manhattan” look and feel. The Pebble building anchors the north end at the riverside, an iconic landmark building dedicated to flexible uses - a glowing landmark forming the gateway to Calgary and East Village.

Diagram: overall Character of corridors within East Village master plan.

Diagram: key Routes - indicative massing

Diagram: key Public Spaces - indicative massing


tHe riFF

3. London Oxford Street, Central Point and Marble Arch; Examples of the focal building and Monument becoming the navigational tool. The design of The Riff will increase permeability and improve overall navigation through the East Village master plan.

1. BarcelonaThe Tore Agbar landmark tower creates a .key point of orientation within the Diagonal.

2. madrid’s urban Grain creates a patchwork of urban forms articulated by green arteries and avenues.

1 2 3

Pedestrian route The Riff

Connection to The Crossing

Connection to the mews &

residential street

Buildings along 8th Avenue - a key connecting space

EVE -heart of The Riff

Small retail units facilitating residential

neighbourhood

Linear out-door space at the heart of

The Crossing

Public space -

at the heart of The Riff and EVE

The Crossroadsresidential

square

Transitional space -

5th Street square

Green semi-private courtyards

fort Calgary - City Park

culture Leisure retail community square

Fort calgaryPark

regionalDestination - Zoo

st. Patrick’s island

aNONymOus urBaN LayOutA potentially anonymous and illegible ‘gridded’ street layout.

east viLLaGe aPPrOacH: Introducing The Riff, vistas and focal building to improve the way-finding and overall legibility.

• Pedestrian Priority• high quality public realm• Partially internalized space (EVE)• Mix of uses, facilities, grain and scales of development• Showcase of sustainable architecture• Connecting East Village’s key piazza spaces• Anchored by prime developments at each end and at

each node

LeGiBiLity East Village will be designed as a “legible” place allowing people to move and navigate easily through varied and vibrant urban spaces. The introduction of visual markers (landmark buildings, squares and public art) and the creation of gateways help define individual areas and help residents and visitors to make their way through the neighbourhood.

one of the key features defining East Village and improving legibility is The Riff - a key corridor crossing the grid plan connecting each corridor

and the area’s different character areas. Delivered as a quality public realm feature, it connects types of activities and uses within East Village and beyond. The massing of the overall master plan has undergone a number of variations, yet each of the variations carried a set of defining principles, which provide The Riff’s urban character. The route lends itself to an urban mews style of shared use thoroughfare, in line with the ARP’s preference to break the grid and make more use of the alleys and narrow routes between key streets.

Diagram: key Features - indicative massing

Diagram: green Networks - indicative massing

PriNciPLes

cONcePts aND Key PriNciPLes

The node on The Riff would potentially offer a unique covered performance space at different levels for a variety of uses.

The intimate public realm potentially created by curved forms of the EVE Block create attractive and unique covered spaces.

Local stores on 5th Street and potential workshops on The Riff will define the Parkside character.

Public Art, ‘accidental spaces’ and well designed street furniture could inform the character of the squares and spaces.

EVE Block could feature a glazed atrium as a defining feature for The Crossing, taking the visitor through the different uses and spaces, providing winter comfort and an activity focus.

the GatewayComprising a mix of opportunity sites seen on approach to the City from the North, Gateway is intended to create a new arrival experience featuring new architectural forms that present a forward-looking image of East Village and the City. The area will be brought to life by its residential, cultural, retail and community uses. A select group of larger-scale retail uses, integrated into more modern mixed-use formats, may be considered for high exposure location along the west side of 4th Street.

the crossingRemnant historic buildings form the core of this institutional and (potentially) residential block offering a mix of leisure, educational and cultural uses. The National Music Centre at the King Eddy will characterize the area with 24/7 activity. Across 4th Street, the EVE Block straddles The Riff, possibly as a glazed atrium space leading visitors to high quality leisure – niche retail with cafes, bars and restaurants overlooking the public squares on 4th and 5th streets. Residential apartments above overlook communal courtyard gardens.

river’s edgeThis waterfront promenade of high quality pubs, cafes and restaurants overlooking the Bow River has uses designed to animate the plazas and spaces of RiverWalk. Speciality commercial uses such as recreational equipment rental and service shops would help to tie East Village to the RiverWalk network.

ParksideThis quarter features finer grain residential and community uses permeated by pedestrian paths. 5th Street Square incorporates The Riff pedestrian route which, together with the Mews, serves to emphasize domestic character: overlooking balconies, irregular set-backs, raised gardens and concealed parking. Taller apartment blocks on the south side overlook 9th Avenue and feature larger scale flexible frontages designed in response to the proposed Rail Town scheme, which includes a retail hub, LRT and High Speed Rail station.

riverWalkThis first stage of a high quality continuous waterfront park promenade is designed to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, kiosks and performance spaces.

st. Patrick’s islandHere, recreational open space is upgraded to become a fitting setting for a new calendar of summer events. Improvements include new planting and landscape treatments, a distinctive cafe, new pedestrian bridge and a variety of waterside treatments.

Fort calgaryHeritage parkland green space containing a replica of the original fort, barracks building and museum, and interpretative facilities.


cHaracter areas

urBaN DesiGN GuiDeLiNes

Diagram: East Village Character Areas.

TheGateway River’s Edge

The Crossing Fort Calgary

RiverWalk

YWCA

BVCCOLLEGE

CITY HALL

St Patrick’s Island

Parkside

The master plan identifies seven character areas of contrasting identity, shaped by their architectural and landscape qualities and the range of uses accommodated.

Linked by a high quality public realm, they create a distinctive urban village that respects and enhances its historical, physical and social context.


iLLustrative master PLaN

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RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS (Parcel A)

RIVERWALk

PEBBLES – fLEXIBLE ShoWCASE / CoMMUNITY SPACE (Parcels B)

CECIL hoTEL, fUTURE REDEVELoPMENT PARCEL (Parcel B)

CANToS NATIoNAL MUSIC CENTRE (Parcel E)

RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS, LIVE / WoRk, LARGER SCALE RETAIL (Parcel C&D)

ThE CRoSSING - MIX of VENUES, INSTITUTIoNS, offICES (Parcel E)

RESIDENTIAL STUDIoS oVER CULTURAL USES oN 9Th AV. & RETAIL (Parcel L)

EVE BLoCk – LoCAL CINEMA, ACTIVE LEISURE, APARTMENTS (Parcel k)

RESIDENTIAL BLoCk, RETAIL AND CoMMERCIAL USES (Parcel J)

CELEBRATIoN SQUARE (4Th STREET SQUARE)

LRT NE LINE

WoRkShoPS / fLEXIBLE USES (Parcel f)

RIVERSIDE hoTEL, RESIDENTIAL ToWER & APARTMENTS, f&B (Parcel G)

RIVERSIDE APARTMENTS & CAfE/ RESTAURANT (Parcel G)

SIMMoNS BUILDING/ RIVERSIDE PUB (Parcel M)

BoUTIQUE hoTEL, RESTAURANT & APARTMENTS (Parcel N)

WATERfRoNT MARkET kIoSk (Parcel M)

MEWS RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS & ToWNhoUSES (Parcel Q & R)

CoMMUNITY SQUARE (5Th STREET SQUARE)

VILLAGE CoURT APARTMENTS (Parcel S)

CoMMUNITY GARDENS

ST PATRICk’S ISLAND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE (By Competition)

PoSSIBLE fUTURE WEIR PooL

ST PATRICk’S LAkE

LAkESIDE CAfÉ (Parcel T)

AMPhIThEATRE

fESTIVAL SPACE

BRIDGELAND LINk

foRT CALGARY

NEW CITY PARkADE (fUTURE)

DISTRICT ENERGY CENTRE

fUTURE hIGh SPEED RAIL/ SE LRT STATIoN

4Th STREET CoNNECToR

RAIL ToWN MIXED USE offICE/ RETAIL/ RESIDENTIAL (By others)

EXISTING BUILDING - SALVATIoN ARMY

MEMoRIAL DRIVE LRT STATIoN

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Drawing: Illustrative Master Plan

3rd

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4th AVENUE SE

5th AVENUE SE

4th

AV

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LY-o

VER

6th AVENUE SE

CoNfLUENCE WAY

RIVERfRoNT AVENUE

7th AVENUE SE

ThE RIff

8th AVENUE SE

9th AVENUE SE

CITY hALL

5th

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4th

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4th S

TREET SE

WATE

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5th AVENUE fLY-oVER

The East Village master plan is supported by the urban design strategies outlined in Urban Design Guidelines section of this document. These set up a strategic framework including strategies for building heights, densities, land uses and public realm. The ARP has guided the preparation of the master plan in relation to connections, urban structure, vistas/landmarks and the public open space network.

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CMLC610 fifth Avenue S.E.

Calgary Alberta Canada T2G 0G1

Telephone: 403-718-0300facsimile: 403-718-0500

www.calgarymlc.ca

east village master plan - calgary herald...lated in 2008 and presented in the premier issue of eve,...

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