Calgary Densification: Mobile Home Park to Urban Village

Recently, the City of Calgary Real Estate and Development Services (RE&DS) announced ambitious plans for the redevelopment of the 24- acre, former Midfield Mobile Home Park into another inner-city, mid-rise, master-planned urban village. This one in the established community of Winston Heights, will logically be named Midfield Heights.

It is all part of the City’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) which aims to increase the number of people living in established communities. The “old community” had 173 mobile homes (approximately 250+ people), while the new village is projected to have 1,060 new homes for about 2,000 people.  

The Midfield Heights vision not only had to comply with the MDP and the  Winston Heights Mountainview Area Redevelopment Plan, but also with the in progress North Hill Communities Local Area Plan, the yet-to-be-approved Guidebook for Great Communities and 16th Avenue North Urban Corridor Area Redevelopment Plan. The layers of planning in Calgary today can be daunting.

The actual plan has many of the same elements as other Calgary urban villages like The Bridges, Currie, University District, West District – in established neighbourhoods, but with its own twist. 

There are mixed-use, mid-rise residential towers (12 floors) on the west side next to the MAX Orange BRT station, fulfilling the city’s vision of more “transit oriented development,”  with lower buildings to on the east and north side to maximize views. 

Midfield Heights will have 25% of the site dedicated to open space, a major portion of that being a linear park created by reclaiming and restoring the land on the escarpment looking out to the Winston and Fox Hollow golf courses.  Central Park, a gathering place for residents, with cafes and shops nearby, will be integrated into the escarpment on the north side and linked to the regional park network.  Point Park located at the southeast corner of the village and at the east end of the linear park, will offer views of downtown, the airport and the golf courses. 

Woonerf Street

Like other urban villages the streets will be designed to be pedestrian-friendly, with pedestrian-oriented commercial development along the tree- canopied sidewalk.

However, the Midfield Heights plan calls for “woonerf style” streets, a Dutch term for “living street,” i.e. the street is shared equally between pedestrians, cyclists and cars.

This is achieved by enhanced landscaping - small gardens, lots of trees and shrubs and sitting areas along the entire street. Patios will be free to spill-out onto the sidewalk with no fencing. Vehicle traffic will move very slowly along the street as pedestrians are free to cross the street wherever they like.  

It is a bit like downtown’s Barclay Mall (3rd St SW) or even Stephen Avenue at night.

What perhaps makes Midfield Heights most unique will be the diversity of housing.  The former mobile home park was a valuable as part of Calgary’s affordable housing inventory, the new village has a minimum of two sites reserved for affordable housing.  The plan calls for 15 to 20% of the 1,060 new homes to be affordable i.e. about 175. 

Overall, the community will include a range of multi-family housing types – mid-rise apartments (max 12 floors), low rise apartments (max 6 floors), row and stacked townhouses.  The heights of the buildings will be highest along 16thAvenue and become lower toward the escarpment to maximize the views for everyone.

Recognizing the City’s commitment to Climate Resilience, the Real Estate & Development Services team has also included Low Carbon initiatives in the master plan by requiring all building structures in Midfield Heights to be 25% better than the requirements of the current National Energy Code for buildings’ requirements.

Last Word

Midfield Heights has some curious street names, like Cirrus Circle, Stratus Drive and Nimbus Way. These cloud formation names, acknowledge the area’s history as Calgary’s first Municipal Airport (Stanley Jones Airport) was immediately south of the site. 

While the eviction of the residents living in the Midfield Mobile Home Park was lamentable, the 175 new affordable homes will provide a diversity of better affordable housing for families, singles and seniors.    

But don’t expect the redevelopment of the Midfield Mobile Home Park to happen overnight, it will happen in phases over the next 15+ years depending on the market, just like Currie, East Village, Stampede Park, West District and University District.

If you like this blog, you will like these links:

Calgary’s University District: A Plan Comes Together

Currie: Canada Lands Creates A Unique Sense Of Place!

Calgary: West District a model mid-rise community!