9 Block

The area around Calgary’s City Hall – the heart of where decisions about Calgary happen – doesn’t feel safe or vibrant. The City of Calgary has identified an opportunity for collaboration with downtown community partners to pilot quick solutions in the nine blocks that surround City Hall that are aimed at improving safety in this important area, supporting the neighbourhoods businesses, and finding low-cost, impactful solutions through partnerships.​

SAPL’s participation will allow for experimental, design-based solutions or possibilities to address safety and vibrancy in the area and highlight its urban significance.

• Joint news release, March 10, 2020: "The City and University of Calgary launch downtown safety and vibrancy initiative" →
• UToday, August 10, 2020: City and UCalgary students find solutions to improve downtown safety and vibrancy →
• Joint news release, November 3, 2020: "The City and 9 Block partners share downtown safety and vibrancy improvements" →
• UToday, November 5, 2020: "Student-designed test project aims to improve safety and vibrancy downtown" →

Following During Winter Term 2020, Students in the senior Master of Landscape studio led by Dr. Beverly Sandalack, PhD, researched the historical underpinnings of the build form in the area and proposing some long-range design options. Students enrolled in Barry Wylant’s undergraduate studio proposed design thinking ideas for social and civic innovation within the 9 Block area.

During Summer 2020, students in the Master of Architecture, Master of Planning and Master of Landscape Architecture programs will work with assistant professor Mauricio Soto Rubio on a 9 Block prototype tactical urbanism design/build project, in collaboration with The City and under the auspices of the Urban Alliance.

The Senior Research Studio in Landscape Architecture is a research-oriented project studio that explores contemporary themes in landscape architecture. The studio centres on a real world problem or project; the analysis of issues and context, and the formulation of a comprehensive design solution involving advanced methods, techniques and practices.

Led by Dr. Beverly Sandalack in Winter 2020, the senior landscape studio built on the interest to the 9 block area and the agenda for improvement. "While remaining cognizant of the City’s emphasis on those nine blocks, the Studio completed a comprehensive analysis of a broader area in order to understand the overall urban morphological issues of the downtown and its historic evolution. This is important as the basis for proposing new, radical, strategies for renewing the downtown and improving the public realm." Sandalack continues, "Following a collective critical analysis, each of the eleven students in this final studio of the Master of Landscape Architecture Program identified an individual issue, and utilized a research-based process to address their objectives. These eleven projects propose attempts to repair the urban morphology of the east part of Calgary’s downtown, and to lead ultimately to a higher quality public realm for all."

Experimental Research Project 2020

During the summer of 2020, SAPL students, led by assistant professor Mauricio Soto Rubio, fabricated an experimental canopy with 3D-printed lights that are activated by pedestrians.

This project is part of Urban Alliance, a strategic partnership between The City and the University of Calgary to promote the seamless transfer of cutting-edge research between the City and the university, for the benefit of all of Calgary’s communities. This partnership supported the hiring of four students so they could design and implement a tactical urbanism project in the area to test out potential improvement strategies.

Continue reading in UToday

Visit the City of Calgary's 9 Block website.