Cultural Plan for Calgary
City of Calgary
Calgary is joining leading cities in Canada and internationally in recognising the role of culture in shaping more livable cities. The Cultural Plan for Calgary is a roadmap for the planning and use of cultural resources to strengthen our economy and improve the quality of life for our residents.
In the face of a rapidly growing and diversifying population, Calgary needs a strategy for promoting the role that culture plays. The plan outlines tangible outcomes including:
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Increased employment through the development of creative industries.
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Increased cultural tourism.
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Fostering greater cultural activity in our neighbourhoods.
The plan identifies five strategic priorities:
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Maximize Calgary’s diversity advantage by appreciating, engaging and connecting Calgary’s diverse population.
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Grow Calgary’s cultural sector and creative industries by recognizing the economic and creative potential of Calgary’s not-for-profit cultural sector and for-profit creative industries.
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Activate culturally vibrant neighbourhoods and districts by increasing opportunities for neighbourhoods to develop a culturally rich public realm.
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Reinforce Centre City as the cultural heart of the city by realizing the area’s potential to support thriving cultural, tourism and creative industry sectors.
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Conserve and celebrate Calgary’s built, natural and Indigenous heritage by embracing a vision of heritage that includes natural, cultural, tangible and intangible resources.
Some of the actions outlined to support the strategic priorities, include:
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Building connections between ethno-cultural communities, Indigenous communities and Calgary’s arts and cultural organizations.
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Developing and promoting Calgary as a music, film and digital city.
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Strengthening Calgary’s creative industries.
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Increasing accessibility of spaces for community cultural expression.
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Conserving and activating Calgary’s built and natural heritage resources.
Strategic priorities align with Council priorities outlined in The City’s Action Plan and support a number of key City and partner strategies including ImagineCALGARY, Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Indigenous Policy Framework (in development), Calgary Heritage Strategy, Centre City Plan, Building on Our Energy (Calgary Economic Development), and Living a Creative Life (Calgary Arts Development).
With Council approval, we will start working with partners Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Economic Development, Tourism Calgary, Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary, Federation of Calgary Communities, Calgary Heritage Authority, and other cultural organizations to build out an implementation plan that will enable us to fulfill the goals and objectives outlined in the Cultural Plan.
The Calgary Cultural Plan was adopted by Calgary City Council in February 2017.