{"id":6761,"date":"2015-04-10T22:07:27","date_gmt":"2015-04-10T22:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/footprintnetwork.org\/?p=6761\/"},"modified":"2017-05-19T16:05:36","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T16:05:36","slug":"calgary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.footprintnetwork.org\/2015\/04\/10\/calgary\/","title":{"rendered":"Calgary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, Canada, was the first city to develop specific Ecological Footprint reduction targets. With a population of nearly 1.2 million, Calgary is located in the southern part of Alberta, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at the confluence of the Bow and the Elbow Rivers.<\/p>\n

In 2005, Calgary participated in one of the first Ecological Footprint studies focused at the municipal level, in collaboration with Global Footprint Network. The analysis found that Calgary\u2019s per capita Footprint exceeded the Canadian average by more than 30 percent, at 9.8 global hectares per person. If everyone on earth had the same Ecological Footprint as the average Calgary resident, we would need five Earths to maintain that level of resource consumption.<\/p>\n

As a result, reducing Calgary\u2019s Ecological Footprint was selected as one of 114 targets that were set as part of imagineCALGARY<\/a>, the City of Calgary\u2019s 100-year sustainability vision. Calgary aims to reduce its Footprint to the national average of 7.25 global hectares per person by 2036.<\/p>\n

To date, Calgary has applied Ecological Footprint analysis to the development of 14 land-use plans, including a proposed downtown redevelopment plan, which compared four development scenarios. Calgary\u2019s Ecological Footprint analysis demonstrated that mobility is the greatest challenge and highlighted the need for a multi-modal transportation system and improved jobs-to-housing balance to reduce the Ecological Footprint.<\/p>\n

\u201cFootprint analysis is an effective tool to help those involved in preparing plans to communicate the link between local awareness and global impact and strengthens Calgary\u2019s ability to make the connection between policy commitments and sustainable development.\u201d<\/p>\n