Quality of life in Calgary down, economic outlook dismal, survey says

Calgarians believe quality of life in the city has decreased, according to a new survey.

The data, set to be reviewed by council Tuesday, says those surveyed for Calgary’s spring research reported lower satisfaction with quality of life measures.

Just over 70 per cent of Calgarians say their quality of life is good, down five per cent from the fall of 2023, while 69 per cent say Calgary is a great place to live down from 75 per cent.

When asked if Calgary is a great place to make a living, just 63 per cent of respondents said yes, down from 70 per cent.

The most important issues, according to Calgarians, are infrastructure, traffic, and roads, homelessness, poverty and affordable housing, crime, safety, and policing, transit, and the economy.

Almost three-quarters of Calgarians believe the city is safe overall, though just 54 per cent believe the city is doing a good job of addressing safety issue.

Forty-one per cent of respondents say crime has increased in their neighbourhood over the past three years.

Housing continues to be top of mind for Calgarians — 92 per cent say housing affordability is an issue, as is the availability of affordable housing.

Though data was collected prior to the completion of the city’s longest-ever public hearing on blanket rezoning, Calgary reports 64 per cent of residents say rezoning will make it easier for Calgarians to live in communities that meet their needs.

However, data made available earlier this month as a part of the city’s public hearing said 62.2 per cent of Calgarians were opposed to blanket rezoning and 30.8 per cent were in favour, based on the makeup of the more than 730 members of the public who spoke before council.

While just over half of Calgarians say they want to go downtown in their free time for dining, shopping, and events, 58 per cent say safety concerns influence their choice to do so.

A large portion of those surveyed say the new event centre will improve vibrancy in the core.

The majority of Calgarians believe climate change is an issue, and would like to see the city do more in combatting it.

Transit has long been a topic of discussions amongst Calgarians, with issues previously being raised about safety on transit.

Currently, 74 per cent of Calgarians say they feel a sense of safety and security when riding a Calgary Transit bus. However, when asked about their sense of safety of trains, just 57 per cent of respondents say they feel safe.

Perhaps the most abysmal data collected is on Calgarians outlook on the economy.

Less than half of residents rate the current economic situation in Calgary as good, and roughly the same amount say they are confident the city will work with businesses and other levels of government to find the best solutions to help push through to economic recovery.

Calgarians perceived value for municipal taxes is the lowest level ever recorded at 44 per cent, according to the report. Despite this, 48 per cent of residents are in favour of increasing taxes, while 46 per cent say they would support a tax cut.

Also startlingly low is Calgarians’ trust in the city — just 38 per cent of people say they trust the city “a great deal” or “somewhat.”

The telephone survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs from February 27, 2024 to March 26, 2024 with 2,501 Calgarians, via telephone survey.