Calgary's Downtown Population

[JWhite]

Bumping a bit late, but admin has identified rezoning as responsible for 2420 units between Oct 2023 and 2024. That's about 16% of our overall 'missing middle starts' in 2024.

Rowhomes, stacked towns, and accessory suites together are about 60%, so we could say that rezoning is responsible for somewhere between a third and a half of each?

Remember that R-G and the DP exemption for rows and towns is lifting quite a lot too, which was not counted for the R-CG infrastructure readiness report where I got those figures, but is technically part of the Rezoning Cinematic Universe.

That's a lot of units to come by way of rezoning, especially since most of those units are probably in the inner city neighborhoods.

 

[Cowtown]

Assuming a jump to 65K by 2026, that would mean for the area defined as 'downtown Calgary' will have seen an increase from 38K to at least 65K (likely more) in only 10 years. That's a 71% increase, and an increase from 38K to 67K would be a 76% increase.
That's extremely impressive. I would bet money no other metro over 500K would have seen that kind of increase. Granted, start at 38K is a pretty low bar.

 

[Tarsus]

I strongly doubt it. Statscan methodologies define a downtown as the densest area of employment, plus a 1 km buffer, so the thing that would make our downtown area spatially larger would not be population growth, but more employment near the core (but at densities similar to the very high ones there).

Further, under the Statscan methodology, our downtown would include Lower Mount Royal (at least as far west as 11 St), the north end of Mission/Cliff Bungalow (probably to 21st Ave), the south part of Crescent Heights (probably south of 7th Ave), most if not all of Sunnyside and Hillhurst south of Gladstone Rd and east of 14th St. Roughly 12-15K people.

But the final step in their methodology after producing the downtown area is "check with the municipality and follow their suggestions", and our Statscan downtown matches with the City's definition of the Centre City, so my strong assumption is that Statscan received the feedback that the City would prefer the areas to align. Since we're not changing that policy definition any time soon, the downtown won't change any time soon either.

Okay. Thanks for the explanation. I thought the downtown boundaries were defined by density, but being defined by jobs makes more sense to Calgary‘s weird boundaries, like leaving out Mission, but adding stampede grounds and Victoria Park.

 

[TysonR]

I think 2026 will be good. Some things I look forward to:
- the most exciting for me is the rumored Allies and Morrison proposal.
- another project starting up in EV.
- several of the office conversions finishing up and another 3,000 residents added to the CBD.
- the green line construction ramping up.
- construction tendering in Q4 2026 for Stampede Station.

Are there 3,000 new residents expected from the conversions that aren’t finished yet? I could only think of 4 buildings currently being converted.
The Baron building
The Taylor building
Place 800
Eau Claire 2

 

[Surrealplaces]

3,000 residents added in 2026 (and a couple months into 2027 is only my guess based on projects finishing up at the end of 2025 and ones finishing in 2026. The count comes out to 1813 units, which would translate into roughly 2,800 to 3,300 people. That also includes Palliser, which might not be done in 2026, and the Barron building which should be done.....but

Projects finishing at the end of 2025
Hat on 9th - 108
The Loft - 56
Dominion - 122
Petrofina - 103

The Baron building - 83
The Taylor building - 94
Place 800 -204
Eau Claire 2 - 195
Hannover - 264
606 4th - 166
Palliser - 418

 

[Robo]

Does anyone know the downtown population for the downtown, not including the Beltline?

 

[Surrealplaces]

Does anyone know the downtown population for the downtown, not including the Beltline?

According to statscan the area called the 'Downtown Commercial Core' which does not include East Village, Chinatown, Eau Claire or Downtown West end had a population of 8,225 in 2021. Almost all of the office conversions fall into this area, so the population will see a significant boost by the next census. as of today, who knows, guessing by the conversions that have been completed:

Sierra - 108
Cornerstone - 112
Hat Eau Claire - 90
The Loft - 56
Dominion - Centre - 122
Petro Fina - 103
Telus Sky - 326 was just starting to accept residents in July of 2021

917 units x 1.7 people per unit = 1559 people, it's quite likely the commercial core is 9,500 or higher. A pretty nice increase in an area that's all office buildings and few developable lots.

As for the population of downtown without the Beltline, (Commercial Core, East Village, Chinatown, Eau Claire or Downtown West end), in 2021 it was:
Commercial Core 8,225
East Village 3,140
West End 2,825
Chinatown 2,250
for a total 16,640

Add in the developments completed since then.
Sierra - 108
Cornerstone - 112
Hat Eau Claire - 90
The Loft - 56
Dominion - Centre - 122
Petro Fina - 103
Telus Sky - 326
Riverpark - 52
First and Park - 211
AHC 6th (both buildings) - 154
Arris - 337 (First phase of Arris was beginning to rent at the time of the census, but I've left it off the list)
West Village Tower - 755

Total of 2,426 units x 1.6 = 3,882 people added. There have been a couple of subtractions, as there was the low income apartment in Eau Claire where First and Park went, as well as the townhouses beside Eau Claire market, i don't know the number of units, but I'll estimate 200 x 1.6 people per unit, so today today downtown without the Beltline be around 20,200.

By the time of the census there will be a few more developments adding to the total.
EV 606 - 44 units
Eau Claire II - 195
Hat @ 9th - 113

Maybe done by July 2026
? Hanover - 264
? 606 - 4th - 166
? Place 800 - 204

 

[Chinook Arch]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the average per unit was higher than 1.5 the past few years. Anecdotally I know of new Canadians with 4 or 5 people to an apartment.