Planning for addiction facilities in Calgary

Abstract

There is a growing need for addiction facilities in Calgary. Addictions have complex reasons and a variety of responses is needed to assist those affected. Yet, addiction facilities tend to attract controversy when located within urban settings. Neighbours and surrounding communities often oppose these, citing concerns about undesirable impacts of these facilities on the neighbourhoods, such as safety of residents due to the transient nature of the clients, loss of property values, concentration of social services in the area, and a myriad of other issues. Municipal politicians and planners tend to respond by developing rules and inflexible policies to govern the location and design of these facilities (the rational planning approach). This project argues that this approach is ineffective and undesirable and that a more flexible, discretionary, dialogue-based approach is needed to integrate these facilities into communities. Recommendations are developed to modify the current Calgary planning approach regarding these facilities based on the discretionary, dialogue­based approach.