Connectivity in the Urban Landscape: Creating Connections with Public Art

Posted by Andree Iffrig Sep 26, 2008

Quick, what do wildlife biologists and art lovers have in common? If you answered, “Birds, bees and beer”, you may be right, but that’s not what I had in mind.

The correct answer is a concern with connectivity in the landscape. In a wildlife context, connectivity refers to the ability for animals to move unimpeded from one part of a region to another. In an urban context, it refers to pedestrian routes that provide environments that are safe, pleasant and visually attractive.

In Calgary, the pedestrian experience is being addressed through a number of initiatives, including landscape design to promote connectivity through the inner city, and by planning for the visual arts. Strengthening the city’s public art program is one of the objectives of the Public Art Board in Calgary.

A volunteer advisory group of nine citizens, the board operates under the aegis of the City of Calgary. The board promotes awareness and understanding of the importance of high-quality public art and provides input to the city’s Public Art Master Plan. A new plan is being developed to allocate public art dollars in a more strategic way.

As a result of the board’s efforts, in the future more new developments in Calgary will be associated with public art. TORODE Group of Companies, a Calgary real estate developer, has been notable for its commitment to public art with examples like a half-kilometre long sculpture by MIcah Lexier for the ArriVa condo tower, and installation of a Dennis Oppenheim piece at the developer’s mixed-use Ramsay Exchange project.

If the Public Art Master Plan is well executed, citizens can expect neighbourhoods in the city to become more attractive places. Pedestrians in an urban environment have different needs from wildlife, but both benefit from efforts to enhance connectivity. Calgary’s art lovers are pleased with the results.