St. Patrick's Island
Calgary, Alberta
Photo Credit: Civitas
CASE STUDY
Initial Research by: Krista Renwick
Edited by: Samantha Miller & Nicole Brekelmans
Case study compiled in 2019
Project: St. Patrick's Island
Type of Urban Strategy: Industrial Landscapes, Ecological Infrastructure
Type of Project: Park Revitalization / Parks and Recreation / Naturalization
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Date Designed/Planned: 2010
Construction Completed: 2015
Designer: Civitas with W Architecture, IBI Group, and Matrix Solutions
St. Patrick's Island Park in downtown Calgary is one of the city's oldest parks, but in 2010 when this revitalization project began, the park was in a state of disrepair, underused, unsafe, and a hub for criminal activity. Growth of the East Village neighbourhood provided an opportunity to fund the revitalization of the park as a placemaking feature for the growing community and greater population of the city. Ecological history was used to guide the restoration of the island, which then serves to connect the community to the park, and in a biophilic approach to nature, strengthens these connections, the community, and the biodiversity of the island.
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