Destination: 4th Street Located in the inner city of Calgary, Fourth Street is one of the most vibrant and excitingcommercial areas in the entire city. There are a number of positive qualities on this strip that have led to its success, but there are someaspects that could be improved to further make 4th Street a true destination.As part of our work involving the Cliff Bungalow and Mission neighbourhoods, the planning students at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Environmental Design have analyzed this commercial area and have suggested some design solutions to improve both the short and long term success of the street.
The section of 4th Street referred to in this website is in the central core of the city of Calgary between 26th Avenue and 17th Avenue Southwest. Known as "The People Street", 4th Street is home to over 200 businesses and is the east/west border between the neighbourhoods of Cliff Bungalow and Mission.
The design team of Erin Silsbe, Chris Elkey, Tao Fan, and John Lewis decided to focus on the development of 4th Street to enhance an already positive commercial streetscape. From the outset, the three overlying goals were:1. Make 4th Street as a destination within the city of Calgary
2. Improve the pedestrian comfort of the area
3. Improve the business climate through more positive designsWith these guiding goals, the team then broke potential solutions into two time frames:1.Short term - Work on improving the street with the existing built form
2.Long term - Develop principles that new development can utilize in the futureBefore we get into how to redevelop the street, it is important to look at how 4th Street exists today.
Go to the 4th Street Existing Qualities Page
Study Overview | Existing Structure | Short Term Solutions | Long Term Principles | Design Team Profiles