Calgary’s core gaining popularity with different crowd
Posted Apr 8, 2016 1:21 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
More Calgarians are flocking to the core, without their suits, ties and business attire.
A City of Calgary survey says 62 per cent of people surveyed said they visit downtown more than once a month for non-work-related activities.
It’s an increase from 2013, when 51 per cent of Calgarians gave the same answer.
Cathy Taylor with the city’s urban strategy unit says people are recognizing that downtown has become cleaner and safer, but people’s appetites also play a factor in how often they visit the core.
“People reported dining downtown quite a bit,” Taylor said. “Despite the economy, we did see a slight increase in that, which surprised us. I think the downtown has great restaurants and entertainment opportunities that appeal to a broad spectrum of Calgarians.”
However, the survey did show that as the night wears on, fewer Calgarians reported feeling safe.
“After 10 p.m., there aren’t a lot of us that would be doing those activities by ourselves in those locations. So it’s not a surprise that perceptions of safety drop as the hour gets later, but we definitely don’t want to see overall a decline of peoples’ perception of safety.”
The Harris/Decima poll surveyed 981 Calgarians last December.
