Summary#

On 2026-06-16, Calgary City Council directed City staff to bring the draft Calgary Plan back to Council in January 2027, with a “What We Heard” report from engagement with Council members. Council must get a chance to comment before a final phase of public engagement. The plan’s stated goal is to guide Calgary’s future growth, land use and transportation.

• This decision does not adopt the Calgary Plan or change the current Municipal Development Plan or Calgary Transportation Plan.
• Council replaced all three recommendations in the staff report with the direction for a January 2027 return to Council.
• The staff report had recommended a sixth phase of public engagement and a Council public hearing on the proposed plan by January 2027. Those recommendations were not adopted.
• A proposal to stop further development of the draft plan and instead ask for targeted amendments to the existing plans was defeated, 5 to 10. Councillors Yule, Pantazopoulos, Clark, Dhaliwal, Atkinson, Kelly, Chabot, Schmidt and Wyness, and Mayor Farkas, voted against that proposal.

What it means for you#

• City staff: Must bring the draft plan and a report on engagement with Council members to Council in January 2027. Council will give feedback before a final phase of public engagement.
• Calgarians: This decision does not itself change development rules, housing options, transportation plans or services. Any later plan would need a further Council decision.
• People who took part in engagement: The report says more than 47,900 Calgarians had taken part in five engagement phases since 2023. The Council direction adds engagement with Council members before the planned final public phase; it does not specify how that public phase will work.

Money#

No cost estimate is given for the work required by this decision.

• City staff said requests for operating funds to finalize and implement the Calgary Plan and Zoning Bylaw would be included in the 2027–2030 budget process. The decision does not approve a budget amount.

What is unclear#

• The decision does not say when the final public engagement phase will happen or when the plan will return for a public hearing and decision.
• It does not specify how Council members will be engaged or what the “What We Heard” report must include.
• The decision does not set a budget or staffing level for the work.
• It is unclear whether the draft plan will change substantially in response to Council feedback or the final public engagement.

Case for#

• City staff say the draft plan would bring the current Municipal Development Plan and Calgary Transportation Plan together in one document. A possible argument for the Council’s direction is that members can give input before the final public engagement.
• City staff say the draft is intended to coordinate future land-use and transportation decisions and simplify planning policies. Those are stated aims, not results guaranteed by this decision.
• The engagement summary reports that participants wanted clearer planning policies and raised concerns about affordability, natural areas, and how new development fits established neighbourhoods. Further feedback could help identify issues before the plan is finalized.

Case against#

• The decision gives no deadline for the final public phase or for a later public hearing. One concern is that the next steps and overall timing are now less certain than under the staff recommendation.
• The engagement summary records concerns about housing affordability, neighbourhood fit, privacy and sunlight, parking, and protecting trees and natural areas. The decision does not say how the final plan must address them.
• Councillor Ward’s defeated proposal would have stopped further development of the draft plan and required staff to identify deficiencies in the existing plans, with cost and infrastructure details, by the second quarter of 2027. Council rejected that alternative, so the decision does not require those specific assessments.