Radio Park

Vibrant Community Gathering Place Emerges Through Innovative Planning and Design

Radio Park is a planned urban park in west Calgary that marries public open space with stormwater management to create a recreational destination for the surrounding community. The park is located within West District, an 84-acre master planned development that is envisioned as a high-density, mixed-use, compact and transit-supportive neighborhood. HDR, collaborating with the City of Calgary, Truman Development Corporation and CivicWorks Planning + Design, has designed the park to be the heart of the development’s urban center.

The eight-acre park is organized around a central lake that provides stormwater storage for the West District development. Fountains, boardwalks, overlooks and plantings transform the lake from stormwater infrastructure to park centerpiece. A variety of program elements, such as a performance venue, wintertime ice rink and restaurant provide activities for all seasons which make the park a year-round destination. Principles of resiliency helped guide the design, which resulted in active park spaces that are rarely impacted by storm events.

Radio Park will provide an unprecedented impact in implementing the Calgary City Council’s Smart Growth goals. As part of the planned urban center, the park is forward-thinking and multi-functional, integrating people spaces with stormwater management and natural landscape. HDR’s landscape architects and water resource engineers have drawn upon their success with related projects, such as Historic Fourth Ward Park and Rodney Cook Sr. Park, to elevate the design and resiliency of Radio Park. The result is a seamlessly integrated park and stormwater management facility that provides a unique and dynamic public open space within the vibrant West District urban development.