Bachelor of Design in City Innovation (BDCI)
Gianluca Cross-Bussoli, Jasmine Keller, and Buyantegsh Naranbaatar are collaborating to design and develop a video game promoting sustainable practices. How will you change the world?
Design the future with the Bachelor of Design in City Innovation (BDCI) program
You can be the change you want to see.
The Bachelor of Design in City Innovation (BDCI) empowers you to tackle complex issues with a design-based approach. By engaging in hands-on, real-world projects alongside industry professionals and community organizations, you will gain the skills needed to create sustainable, inclusive solutions for the built environment. Located in the heart of downtown Calgary, our innovative program integrates transdisciplinary systems thinking with cutting-edge digital design tools to equip you with the skills needed to create meaningful change.
Join us and transform your passion for design in city innovation into a rewarding career that enhances the quality of life for all.
Today’s challenges can shape solutions for tomorrow’s cities
We train future design leaders to take bold action and make a positive impact.
- Seeking hands-on educational experiences?
- Motivated by the potential to shape your community’s future?
- Excited to tackle complex city challenges?
- Eager to foster inclusion for all?
- Keen to address climate change and build resilience?
- Ready to tackle big problems with innovative approaches?
- Passionate about finding meaningful career opportunities that make a difference?
Empower communities through innovative design
Transform city spaces into inclusive, sustainable environments.
- Gain real-world experience with hands-on projects.
- Work with community and professional partners.
- Learn advanced digital design, fabrication and visualization workflows.
- Experience a curriculum where creativity and collaboration drive progress, and each moment contributes to growth and innovation.
We’re here to help you make an impact
Join us in building better cities for future generations.
Pioneers in City innovation
Canada's first transdisciplinary undergraduate design degree aimed at shaping the cities of tomorrow—because we care about the world we leave behind.
We share your passion
We understand that your heart beats for a better world and we’re committed to making a positive impact together.
Studying the built environment has empowered me to design spaces that not only serve people but also nurture the planet.”
BDCI Student
Three easy steps to start your journey
Unlock your potential as a city innovator.
Explore the BDCI Program
Customized Learning Experience
The BDCI program is a four-year, 120-unit degree consisting of common core courses and electives, with the option to complete a concentration, a minor, and/or a certificate.
Concentrations
Students can apply to an architecture or landscape architecture concentration. If they are interested in becoming a planner, they can choose specific electives that will prepare them for the unique scope of the field.
Additional Certification
Students have the option to complete a Minor Program relevant to city building careers of their choice and/or complete an Embedded Certificate.
Design in City Innovation (DCI) Electives
DCI electives allow students to craft an individualized learning experience.
Professional Experience
Work-integrated learning course and capstone project course related to the student's area of interest.
Explore innovative design solutions created by BDCI students
How will you change the world?
Sonic Threads | Allysen Stachiw & Carola Ramirez | Bachelor of Design in City Innovation
Tachi/Miura Creations | Raiyana Shams & Divreet Channay | Bachelor of Design in City Innovation
Student work from DSGN 301, 302, 303
Message from the Associate Dean (Undergraduate)
“If you want a 21st century education designed with a new, cutting-edge curriculum, then this is the program for you.”
Prof. Alberto de Salvatierra
Associate Dean (Undergraduate) + Associate Professor of Urbanism and Data in Architecture
Come design the future with us.
And change the world from the heart of the city.
In January 2026, we moved to a vibrant downtown location to enhance the educational journeys of our students and researchers while fostering collaboration with our professional community, the City of Calgary, and beyond.
See how BDCI students are changing the world
Salina Tran
In the convergence of plant biology, textile science, and material design, Salina Tran explores root systems as agents of structural logic. How will living systems inspire your design future?
Jack McLaughlin
By interrogating biogenic material assemblies through design-based experimentation, Jack McLaughlin reveals new spatial, structural, and tactile potentials in regenerative design. How will you contribute to architecture’s ecological turn?
Zernaab Nisar
Through interviews and analysis, Zernaab Nisar uncovered a new mosque typology beyond modern and traditional Islamic architecture. Think about how buildings bring out spiritual feelings in you.