The biggest issue facing many downtowns today is safety. In Calgary, many citizens simply don’t feel comfortable or safe in their downtown. The same can be said for the downtowns of from Victoria to Austin and Portland to New York.

Short term, Canada’s downtowns need more eyes and ears on the street i.e. foot patrols (ambassadors, social workers, police, bylaw officers, security guards) who can pro-actively help people in need, as well as arresting those who are breaking the law.

Long term Canadian downtowns need all levels of government to collaborate to provide safe and adequate housing for everyone who needs it, addiction and mental health programs for those who want them and stiffer penalties for those engaged in criminal behaviour.

An edited version of this blog was published by CBC Calgary titled “Downtown Calgary’s biggest issue is safety, not empty office buildings.”

The underpasses linking the Beltline on the south side of the CPR mail line rail tracks to downtown are scary places to walk.

Downtown Perception

Cities can add all the murals, banners, hanging baskets, street furniture, public art and public spaces it wants in the downtown, but FIRST they are going to have to deal with the safety and comfort issue. And even when the data shows downtown crime is declining (or not rising) it will still take a long time before the perception of downtown will change.

Unfortunately, a single incident in the media (a mugging, a stabbing) and any gains in improving the public’s perception of downtown as an attractive place are lost.

In Calgary, the shocking hate crime on March 22, 2021 where in broad daylight (1:30 pm), two 16-year old girls walking along the Bow River Promenade were verbally and then physically attacked by a 28-year old woman who tore off their headscarves is not suppose to happen in Calgary. This sent a loud message to all Calgarians - downtown isn’t safe. This was confirmed again when at there was a stabbing death in broad daylight (6:30 pm) near the Kerby Centre LRT Station on April 15, 2021.

Incidents like these live in the minds of Calgarians for months, even years.

And, downtown safety is not just a Calgary problem; it’s one that exists in all major cities in Canada and North America for that matter.

Link: Less Than Half of Victorians Feel Safe Downtown at night

Link: Austin Camping

Bridgeland Experience

This was driven home to me personally recently when I wandered Bridgeland near the new Dominion apartments and a 30-somethingn male said to me “Nice if you have a million dollars!” I corrected him saying they weren’t condos but apartments, with studios renting for $1,100 per month with lots of amenities. He seemed surprised. I asked him where he lived and he said downtown in an $800/month studio with no amenities. He seemed intrigued about the possibility of moving to Bridgeland.

I asked him, “How he liked living Downtown?” and he said “it is great during the day, but scary at night with people high on drugs sometimes urinating right in front of you.”

Ironically, I had an email the day before from an empty nester who also lives in Bridgeland telling she and her husband never go downtown anymore as they don’t feel safe.

Crime Stats

A quick check of the Calgary City Police crime stats shows the incidents of social disorder in the downtown core actually declined from 2018 to 2019 (from 5,901 to 5,436), while physical disorder increased from 278 to 381 over the same period. From 2015 to 2018, the numbers stayed pretty much the same. Note: These statistics refer only to reported incidents, not the actual number incidents. So while some numbers appear to be increasing and others decreasing, ultimately it isn’t the crime numbers that are important - it the perception.

The City of Calgary’s 2019 Centre City Perception Survey confirms safety is an issue. From 2017 to 2019, the percent of Calgarians living downtown who felt safety “has worsened” increased from 18% to 32% - almost a doubling. The percentage of downtown workers who perceived safety is getting worse increased from 15% to 26% and for those who don’t live or work downtown the number rose from 17% to 22% over the same period.

However, when asked “What initiative would make the Centre City a more vibrant area to live?” Only 16% said addressing safety, crime and/or homeless/panhandling issues. The #1 response at 26% was more activities – shopping, restaurants, recreational, art, cultural events.

However, if you look at the downtown core the safety issue becomes higher. In 2020, the City of Calgary working in collaboration with the University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscapes (SAPL) and other community partners conducted an online survey to look at safety and other issues within a 9-block area near City Hall - 1 Street SE to 6 Avenue SE and from 4 Street SE to 9 Avenue SE.

In this case the perception of safety was very different. During the day only about 50% of the people felt safe, but in the evening that number drops to only about 15%.

I then started asking people I know who live and work downtown if they felt downtown safety is an issue. One young professional said she and six girlfriends who work downtown (all in their late 20s or early 30s) have all recently bought keychain accessories that double as a weapon if needed. She said the absence of people downtown due to COVID has definitely made downtown streets appear less safe, as the “scary” activities and people are more visible. I thanked her for sharing her experiences and asked her to let me know if she hears any safety concerns from colleagues.

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Personal Experiences

Within an hour an email arrived from one of her colleagues who works and lives downtown, saying “the vibe of downtown has changed recently and personal safety has become a bigger issue. I encounter more street people who are either yelling at each other, at me, or to no one in particular. I am definitely more aware of which side of the street I walk on, than I use to.” She went on to say she and her boyfriend recently looked at an apartment near the Sheldon Chumir Health Centre that they would have taken in a heartbeat, but ultimately felt the area was too unsafe, so they chose a place just off 17th Avenue SW instead. I have been told by many others that they avoid walking near the Sheldon Chumir Health Centre. It will be interesting to see what impact the closing of the safe injection site at the Centre will have on safety in Memorial Park and neighbouring streets.

Indeed, it is not uncommon to be downtown and hear people shouting at nobody. Or to see someone sitting with all of their possessions sprawled all over on the sidewalk. While many Calgarians are tolerant and realize street people will cause them no harm, others are not so sure. I consider myself to be a tolerant person, but have to admit I don’t feel as comfortable downtown as I used to.

Last Fall, when walking mid-day by the Drop-In Centre, taking photos of buildings and public art I was approached by a dishevelled woman who wanted to know if I wanted “a good time.” When I politely and firmly said “NO” and kept walking, she followed me grabbed at my camera bag. This boldness was something I had not experienced in Calgary before.

Calgary Street Photography

Calgary street photographer Chris Toombes has been documenting street life in downtown Calgary for several years now. He has seen how it has become a haven for people in need. Here are some of his graphic photos of the drug culture in downtown. You can follow Chris on Instagram and Twitter @followcsp.

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Public Space Challenge

Public spaces are “home” for the street people - they are essential to their daily life. Public spaces are their living room, family room and dining room and in some cases, their bedroom and yes sometimes their bathroom. Stephen Avenue on weekends has become a lunch room at the corner of 8th Ave and 2nd St. SW with long tables full of food to feed the homeless.

At the same time, public spaces are supposed to be shared spaces where citizens of all ages and backgrounds can feel safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, the undesirable activities of a few (shouting, swearing, drinking and excessive littering) can make a public space uncomfortable for many.

Downtown’s public spaces have become even more unattractive this past year with protesting happening every weekend. Who wants to come downtown and end up in the middle of a protest? It seems at times like protesters had taken over Olympic Plaza, Stephen Avenue and Prince’s Island on the weekends.

Some protestors and street people don't respect the unwritten rules of public space i.e. social distancing, cleanliness, civility and decorum. Someone intoxicated or high on drugs in a park, plaza or street, a person sleeping on a bench, sidewalk or alley and being approached for money makes most people feel uncomfortable. While some of these are not crimes they create discomfort and an overall negative experience which results in people not wanting to return.

Trips to Portland and Victoria, allowed me to see what is perhaps next for Calgary’s downtown if nothing is done. In both cities I saw hundreds of people living in tents on the sidewalks, in parks and under overpasses – it was very uncomfortable to walk along these streets. Already, I see tents setup along the shore of the Bow River next to Memorial Drive.

Could the next step be tent villages in our downtown’s public spaces?

Safety First

One of the key strategies for making downtown safer is to attract more people to live downtown, but first you need a safe downtown. Will new and improved public spaces make downtown a more attractive place to live? Perhaps, but not if they are empty most of the time and become places for drug deals, drinking and sleeping. What we need is to make our existing public spaces safe and comfortable.

Memorial Park is a beautiful public space for downtown residents. Unfortunately in the evening and sometimes even during the day, it becomes a place people avoid as it feels unsafe.

I Repeat

Short term, downtown Calgary needs lots of eyes and ears on the street i.e. foot patrols (ambassadors, social workers, police, bylaw officers, security guards) who can pro-actively help people in need, as well as arresting those who are breaking the law.

Long term Calgary and all Canadian downtowns need all levels of government to collaborate to provide safe and adequate housing for everyone who needs it, addiction and mental health programs for those who want them and stiffer penalties for those engaged in criminal behaviour.

Downtown safety is not an urban design issue, it is societal one.

Feedback

I received lots of interesting feedback on downtown safety as a result the CBC Calgary’s post. A few felt I should have emphasized the issue is “the perception of downtown as unsafe” and that articles like this just foster that perception. Others shared with me personal experiences of why they feel unsafe, how it has gotten worse and how they have been accosted while downtown.

It is my experience that downtown safety is key to the revitalization of a city’s downtown as the heart and soul of the city, not only Calgary and every major city in North America.

If you like this blog you might like these links:

CBC: Revitalizing Downtown Calgary: A 60 Year History!

Downtown Calgary could get worse before it gets better

CBC: Why we should turn Calgary’s empty office towers over to the creative economy?

Downtowns' Biggest Issue Today Is Safety?