Parks, pathways, shops, restaurants, and everyday essentials are connected to residential areas by walkable streets and greenspaces. All designed with sustainability in mind to make it a better place to live and invest in.
University District is Alberta’s first community to achieve LEED-ND Platinum certification, the highest international standard for sustainable neighbourhood development.
This certification recognizes communities built to reduce environmental impact, support healthy living, and connect people to where they need to be.
Every element of University District, from building design to transit access to greenspace, meets rigorous standards in energy efficiency, water management, green infrastructure, and walkability.
The result is a complete, forward-looking community that protects our beautiful natural resources, strengthens property value, and makes everyday life more practical.
| 01 | Green |
University District is proof that environmental design can be practical, beautiful, and built to last. With energy-efficient systems, durable materials, and naturalized landscapes, we’re setting a new standard for sustainable communities in Alberta.
Stormwater is captured and filtered through visible systems across public spaces. Landscaping is designed to shade streets in summer and shield buildings in winter, lowering energy demand throughout the year.
| 02 | Neighbourhood |
Every twist and turn is designed to make daily life easier. U/D is a feet-first community with walkable streets, access to transit, and pathways that support exercise and connection.
The community is built to accommodate people of all ages and life stages, with a focus on accessibility, aging in place, and proximity to essential services, parks, and diverse housing. It’s a place where people can put down roots and feel at home.
| 03 | smart |
Smart growth means balancing what the community needs now with what it will need in the future. U/D’s Master Plan guides the timing and mix of homes, services, and amenities to ensure each phase supports the next.
University District is designed to optimize financial returns to the University of Calgary while creating long-term economic sustainability and value for its residents, the surrounding communities and the city.
Walkable, pedestrian-prioritized streets thread through every block, with a fully integrated network of pathways that link to Calgary’s regional bike system. Direct access to Brentwood and University LRT stations puts the city within easy reach.
Our annual community clean up brings residents, local businesses, and volunteers together each spring for a hands-on effort to care for our parks, sidewalks, and streetscapes, tidying greenspaces and playgrounds.
Over 40 acres of University District’s greenspace and a network of 12 km of pathways connect the community to nature. Plants, naturalized landscapes, and water-wise design support local biodiversity while creating beautiful places to walk, gather, and recharge.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a rating system recognized as the international mark of excellence for green building in over 150 countries and this certification is one of the highest international ratings for sustainable neighbourhood design.
The LEED-ND Platinum status was recognized for our Master Plan which outlined plans for a socially, financially and environmentally sustainable community. There were many elements in our Master Plan that contributed to the ranking including a grid system of streets and blocks, innovative uses for natural systems of air, water and energy, and providing lifestyle options for residents that yield a reduced environmental footprint.
LEED for Neighborhood Development recognizes development projects that successfully protect and enhance the overall health, natural environment and quality of life in our communities.
To become LEED-ND Platinum certified, a development must gain points using the following criteria:
University District’s prime location is located next to 5 major employment hubs including the Foothills Hospital, the Alberta Children’s Hospital and the University of Calgary, one of Canada’s top comprehensive research universities. It has easy access by transit and major roadways in the city and the Rocky Mountains including Kananaskis and Banff National Park. Lastly, it is nestled between many well-established Calgary communities including Varsity, Parkdale and Montgomery. University District’s master plan details the community’s land-use plan including low, medium and high-density residential developments and retail space.
The community master plan featured functional locations with housing available close to jobs, diverse uses of space, protection of endangered species and ecological conservation, habitat restoration and long-term conservation management.
University District was named one of Calgary’s best Car-Free Neighbourhoods by Avenue Magazine. The walkable community was designed for all lifestyles and stages and includes mixed-use buildings with retail at grade, public and recreational spaces throughout the neighbourhood, tree-lined and shaded streets, access to transit facilities, intentional connection to bike and foot transport pathways and bike storage. Since Retail Main Street launched in 2020, more than 50 services, restaurants and businesses have opened enhancing the quality of life and centralizing convenience.
The community is currently home to more than 40 acres of green space and 12 kilometres of pathways, two stormwater pond features providing watershed for wildlife, designed for walkability and easy access by bike and transit and accessible amenities close to home to reduce driving. Additionally, residential builders in University District must certify a minimum Built Green Gold or equivalent.
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