{"id":170443,"date":"2026-08-16T23:16:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T23:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/170443\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T23:16:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T23:16:29","slug":"cookie-cutter-but-cost-effective-why-calgarys-new-communities-are-so-similar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/170443\/","title":{"rendered":"Cookie-cutter but cost-effective: Why Calgary’s new communities are so similar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Across Calgary\u2019s expanding suburbs, rows of similar-looking townhouses, detached homes and repetitive rooflines are becoming a familiar sight as the city works to keep pace with housing demand.<\/p>\n

According to a social media post asking Calgarians their thoughts on the architectural look in newly developed communities, some Calgarians see these rapidly developing neighbourhoods as cookie-cutter models.<\/p>\n

They say they\u2019re copies of one another that lack architectural and design variety, sacrificing Calgary\u2019s residential charm and making new suburbs look borderline dystopian. Some see it as a result of private equity and finalization, and that these homes are built to sell, not to be lived in for years to come.<\/p>\n

Urban design experts argue that similar-looking neighbourhoods are nothing new in Calgary and that the real measure of a neighbourhood with character is in walkability, access to services, nature and public spaces, not design choices.<\/p>\n

The industry perspective shows builders are working with strict regulations while responding to what buyers can realistically afford. What some see as the death of unique neighbourhoods is a frantic response to housing pressures in a growing city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Six home styles sign in the southwest community of Belmont. KALISTA GROSECLOSE\/LIVEWIRE CALGARY<\/p>\n

According to Leslie Evans, executive director for the Federation of Calgary Communities, the issue lies in the push for faster, cheaper, more efficient housing that might come at the expense of long-term durability and a lack of community identity. She said that what\u2019s missing is more consideration when planning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we need to go back to thinking about master planning and creating something that\u2019s unique,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo really think about what this community is compared to the one we just built.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evans said Calgary\u2019s older master-planned communities stand out because planners intentionally designed them with distinct street layouts, boulevards, trees and rooflines, while also using quality materials.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s characteristics that were planned from the very start to create that unique community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to adapt to the changing pace and consider the quality of the build. The crisis will continue, but we need to adapt and say \u2018how do we ensure quality?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The reality of rapid development<\/p>\n

\"\"Newly developed homes in the southwest community of Silverton KALISTA GROSECLOSE\/LIVEWIRE CALGARY<\/p>\n

\"\"Newly developed homes in the southeast community of Walden KALISTA GROSECLOSE\/LIVEWIRE CALGARY<\/p>\n

As pressures grow to keep up with housing demand, developers focus on rapidly producing homes.\u00a0According to Amie Blanchette, CEO of BILD Calgary Region, affordability and responding to the needs of consumers is the main priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cAffordability has to remain a priority,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we think about that rapid growth and where people want to set down roots when they get to the city, there\u2019s a ton of options,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Blanchette said that it\u2019s about offering choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about people and providing houses for people,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

According to Evans, there are land-use requirements that can dictate certain choices development companies can make in neighbourhoods. These regulations affect things like building materials, land use, environmental considerations and municipal reserve requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s a wide misunderstanding that there\u2019s this blank slate that developers get to work with,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut even under that burden of legislative and regulatory framework, we still see innovative designs coming through and some creativity that will differentiate one neighbourhood from another.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Beverly Sandalack, an urban design and landscape architecture professor at the University of Calgary, similar-looking neighbourhoods are not a new phenomenon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen haven\u2019t we seen a consistency in neighbourhoods? That\u2019s been going on for at least half a century,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at any of the neighbourhoods that were built in the 1950s, \u201960s, \u201970s, like Glendale, Glamorgan and Glenbrook in the southwest, they were all developed during that era, and they look remarkably the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandalack said that the premise of new neighbourhoods looking the same has been the pattern of urban development all along.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil around 1950, neighbourhoods were developed house by house, or block by block and there would be a lot more variety of accents, but it was restricted by the materials that were available in the economy at the time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWood frame houses were much more popular than brick or concrete because those materials were important in the trades. So when developers would buy land and develop a neighbourhood all at once, it tended to have a consistent look.\u201d<\/p>\n

What people call cookie-cutter development is a product of large-scale production, efficiency and market demand. According to Sandalack, it\u2019s a normal sight to see as Calgary\u2019s neighbourhoods expand.<\/p>\n

\u201cCities evolve; nothing stays the same. Over time, Infill happens, styles change, needs change,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a little while for neighbourhoods to grow in and to develop some character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liked it? Take a second to support Kalista Groseclose on Patreon!<\/p>\n

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