Calgary: A Sprawling Obsession

Delaplaine Productions•earthstream.social

The rapid pace of Calgary’s expansion since the 50s raised questions from academics and concerned citizens, who described it as a perfect example of urban sprawl and deemed it unsustainable from the human, economic and environmental point of view. This podcast is a series in 3 episodes that aims at exploring this question, through interviews with experts to discuss the threats associated to this phenomenon from three different points of view: the threats towards Calgary inhabitants, the threats towards biodiversity and the threats towards the cultural heritage of Indigenous people. This podcast was created as part of the Canadian Wilderness Stewardship Program run by CPAWS.

Last refreshed: July 15th, 2025 at 3:24 AM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Bonus: Call to action on July 25th, 2023

On Tuesday July 25th, 2023, Calgary’s City Council will vote on amendments as part of bylaw IP2023-0559. These amendments will affect the Municipal Development Plan and several Area Structure Plans , which is the framework used to approve the creation of new communities. Even though the current framework has a lot of shortcomings, the new one is just as bad. The proposed changes are based on the assumptions that the real estate industry needs more public funding, that the growth within the exist...

Jul 20, 2023•3 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Episode 3: Boxes surrounding the land

In this third and final episode, we will discuss with a member of the Tsuut’ina nation to see how urban sprawl in Calgary affect their traditional activities, as well as how Indigenous people perceive the modifications to the land that are caused by the expansion of cities on their traditional territories. We will conclude this series with ideas from all our guests that could help to change the narrative surrounding urban sprawl. Calgary: A Sprawling Obsession is a podcast created as part of the...

Apr 14, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 4

Episode 2: A square meter of ground

In this second episode, we will discuss with biologists and conservation advocates to describe the environment and ecosystems that are found within and around Calgary, and the benefits that we all gain from preserving them. We will also discuss some tools that could be used to implement strong conservation policies and properly integrate nature within the city. Calgary: A Sprawling Obsession is a podcast created as part of the 2022-2023 edition of the Canadian Wilderness Stewardship Program , ma...

Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Episode 1: Borrowing against the future

In this first episode, we will discuss with geographers and urbanists to describe the mechanisms within municipal policies and the market that encourage urban sprawl, and understand why this growth model has remained the easy solution in Calgary for the past few decades. We will also discuss the negative effects for Calgarians, from the urban planning, natural risk and economic point of view. Calgary: A Sprawling Obsession is a podcast created as part of the 2022-2023 edition of the Canadian Wil...

Mar 17, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Teaser

Calgary: A Sprawling Obsession is a podcast that aims at creating a discussion around urban sprawl in Calgary and its effect on biodiversity and people. Stay tuned for the release of the first episode on March 17th, 2023! The music is Skies Legacy by Tristan Lohengrin ( www.tristanlohengrin.com ) The picture used for the podcast cover is from Kelly Hofer .

Feb 07, 2023•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android