MPlan Student Work

ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL PLANNING STUDIO (PLAN630)

The Advanced Professional Planning Studio is the capstone studio in the Master of Planning program. As part of a formal collaboration with the Federation of Calgary Communities, students engage with community associations and residents to seek creative solutions to real planning issues. Since 2013, students have worked with communities such as West Springs, Bridgeland, Bowness and Mardaloop. Browse the project library →

THE DECK BY THE BOW AT INGLEWOOD - Arvind Gopalakrishnan - MPlan

Situated in Inglewood, this site portrays a great level of accessibility as it takes no more than a 15 minute drive to get to some significant locations in the city. The lower level is an amalgamation of stepped natural landscape and resting spaces shaded by the deck, it also functions as a shaded exhibition space without interfering with the existing bike pathways. The upper level is a concrete deck floating on the landscape, connecting it to the 12 street bridge thus providing multiple uses and a better circulation. The two levels are connected with a spiral ramp to cater to all age groups.

THE LOOK OUT - Lilit Houlder 
Site Planning Studio 

Situated in the backyards of Inglewood residents, the Lookout terrace offers a community space for indoor and outdoor gatherings and activities; such as yoga on the terrace, live concerts, walks, and other forms of exercise. This space is designed both for residents and visitors to the site, and is connected to the cycling network of Calgary. The final site plan of the Lookout has the amenity building in the southeast corner of the site. Trees have been places along the terrace walk to block prevailing winds and provide shade for people who are sitting on the sloped benches. The bicycle trail along the north border is connected by another bike path to the sidewalk on the south border. People can choose to take a scenic stroll along the terrace from the bottom trail to the top.

RIVER FLOWS IN YOU – Chang Liu – M1 – Site Planning Studio

The principle of design is to create different outdoor spaces and let water engage in the site. The first space is next to the river. It is for people to play with the water, the river flows into the site here. The second space is on the slope where is the centre of the site. It is for people to enjoy the view of the river and relax. The third space is in the south. It is for people to do outdoor sports, and the river becomes the background of it.

CONVERGENCE - Liyang Wan - M1 - Site Planning Studio

Convergence is an experimental site planning project that examines how to create unique experiences for different people moving through the same place at different paces. Utilizing landscape qualities and features, as well as built structures such as elevated pathways and commercial buildings, the design draws inspiration from its site boundaries - the Bow River and the original 12th St. Bridge. The strategic placement of natural and built elements also attempts to define the site’s porous boundary to the west along the river

PORTLAND'S ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT - Dat Pham, Bhumit Banthia, Jie Li - Senior Year

The Portland’s Entertainment District is where inhabitants of the city come to spend their leisure time at any points during a day with multiple programs located within the site such as Aquatic Centre, Sport Arena, Performing Art Centre, Casino and Cineplex along sides with offices and hotels. To celebrate accessibility and walkability of the city, the project is designed to be accessed majorly through transit system, biking and walking. With that sense of pedestrians first, there is a critical moment when new pedestrian path is proposed using the current highway Ross Island Bridge to connect the Eastern neighborhood to this project site, making it directly or indirectly connected to anywhere within the city of Portland.

GREENHOUSE DISTRICT - Christina Peace, Sahil Khakhar, Dhruv Soni – Senior Year – Urban Design Studio (Portland)

Urban farming has become a popular topic when it comes to urban development. Due to recent efforts proving the viability of hydroponic and aquaponic farming, the focus for this project was to create a mixed-use district that immersed farming in the city with multi-family urban living. Consume, grow, gather, and learn were the concept drivers, and high density living, experimental farming, and public engagement were core focuses in the overall design. The end-goal was to have an innovative hub for urban agriculture that not only explored the opportunities for future farming initiatives, but embraced the unique and vibrant culture in Portland.

ZIDELL CO-VILLAGE - Reszka, Sheri DeBoer, Karl Alexies Dasco - Senior Year – Urban Design Studio (Portland)

A community plan that seeks to tackle the key issues of affordable housing and environmental sustainability that are prevalent in Portland. The aim of the project was to create a revolutionary net-zero, medium-rise, high-density community by changing the way people live and work with each other. We wanted to create a healthy community by providing food security and a diverse neighborhood where people care for each other and create a sense of belonging through social activity. A great importance of the project was that the development of the site was inclusive of all Portanders, contributing to their overall health and wellbeing.

SYNAPTIC [infra] STRUCTURE - Leticia Chapa MPlan Julie Sorensen MArch, Senior Year – Urban Design Studio (Portland)

A structure which permits the transmission of information from one point to another through a highly organized system that has the capacity to organize and reorganize based on environmental changes.

Movement - Transfer - Flux

Continuous Change

REGIONAL FORM-BASED CODES - Tyler Caswell & Chris McCaw – Senior Year – Regional Planning Studio

The goal of EVDS 640 was to imagine the Calgary region in 2040. With the region expecting an additional one million people by 2040, growth is inevitable, and needs to be properly planned. Our assignment was to first identify where we believe the Calgary region is, and then identify where the growth will occur and how best to manage this growth through form-based codes. Below we identified the primary growth areas in the region as Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane and Chestermere, based off of the current Area Structure Plans in place, as well as each municipalities growth capabilities. From here we identified regional form-based codes that are best suited for the areas of growth. These codes are both from the region currently as well as examples from a number of cities across the globe that manage their development in successful and unique ways.

CALGARY 2040 A REGIONAL GROWTH STUDY - Robyn Erhardt and Crystal Hofer - Senior Year – Regional Planning Studio

Our regional vision aims to create a diverse, connected region that maximizes existing resources and grows sensitively within the context of southern Alberta. Each growth centre will densify and prosper creating a strong regional community that supports the economic strength and prosperity of the core city: Calgary. 

GLENDALE, ROSSCARRACK, WESTGATE: COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT DESIGN CONCEPT - Tyler Caswell, Robyn Erhardt, Ishan Maggo - Advanced Professional Planning Studio

An Area Redevelopment Plan to guide long-term planning and development. The plan will help guide these future developments and pressures the community is experiencing. A strategic plan has been created to through analysis and design guidelines that meets EMC’s three guiding principles: community growth and development, quality community and environment, and active and connected living. View the full report.