Nelles_2005

Nelles HV (2005) How Did Calgary Get Its River Parks? Urban History Review 34(1):28-45. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43562343

Mid-twentieth century, the perception of parks and the Bow river changed
In democracy, parks are viewed as leisure and affluence (we can use this space for something “non-productive”). Post-World War era was a surge of leisure and affluence, thus a changing perception of the river/parks came into being
The river was not always a park, the city developed with the river serving industrial and commercial purposes
Traditionally a working class living area - south bank of the river. The river was considered a “junkyard”
Visiting urban planner used “City Beautiful” movement techniques to propose a new city design for Calgary - plamted the seeds for a haphazard collection of parks that began to grow
In the 50s, Calgary Local Council of Women campaigned to improve social services and public amenities, including a ribbon of park along the river