Bow RiverWalk

Calgary, Alberta 

Photo Credit: Stantec

CASE STUDY

Initial Research by: Desiree Theriault

Edited by: Samantha Miller & Nicole Brekelmans

Case study compiled in 2017

Project: Bow RiverWalk

Type of Urban Strategy: Water 

Type of Project: River Walk / Recreational Plaza

Location: Calgary, Alberta 

Date Designed/Planned: 2008

Construction Completed:  2012

Designer: Stantec

The original design and Master Plan of the RiverWalk came along with the East Village Revitalization in 2008. The City of Calgary created a subsidiary corporation – Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) – in order to tackle this immense project. The goal of the project was inspired by some of the world’s most liveable places such as the Broadway Malyan’s Master Plan, utilizing its ability to give identity and a sense a place to an area.

The RiverWalk does this by becoming the ‘true soul’ of the River District. It is the space that establishes the East Village within the rest of downtown Calgary, and it provides a space as a destination and a journey. Today, the RiverWalk is utilized as the key commuter route for pedestrians and cyclists in Calgary – however, it also offers visitors with a vibrant space to gather. Its outdoor art installations, lighting, outdoor furniture, wayfinding, extensive landscaping and recreational spaces prove to be a place that Calgarians can assemble and reconnect with the Bow River (CMLC. "Jack & Jean Leslie RiverWalk Stage 1", n.d.).