Sustainable Calgary

What Sustainable Calgary does

Sustainable Calgary is a nonprofit society founded in 1996 and headquartered at 1225A Kensington Road NW in Calgary, Alberta. The organization's mission is to advance urban sustainability through three integrated lines of work: longitudinal research (the State of Our City indicator tracking system covering 42 indicators across 7 domains since 1998), community-led urban design projects (most notably the Connaught Open Street and Kids Reimagine School Streets programs), and public engagement through content channels including a podcast, blog, and publications library. Its primary beneficiaries are Calgary residents, students, and communities, with secondary audiences of municipal policymakers and academic researchers who consume the organization's evidence base.

The organization's core methodology combines co-design frameworks with evidence-based research. Its proprietary technology assets are methodological rather than digital: the State of Our City longitudinal indicator system, the Active Neighbourhoods Canada participatory planning framework (nationally led 2013-2020), and child-led design processes that have produced 10 design iterations on the Connaught Open Street project. These methodologies have been validated by external recognition including the 2024 RAIC National Urban Design Award (Community), the 2020 Community Indicators Legacy Award, and repeat Mayor's Urban Design Awards in Calgary.

Sustainable Calgary is funded primarily through donations and foundation grants from organizations including the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, Calgary Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Beltline Community Investment Fund. The organization supplements grant funding with limited fee-for-service consulting on policy research, sustainability indicators, and urban design guidance provided to government and institutional clients. Operations are deliberately small — a core team of 5-6 staff supplemented by board members, frequent collaborators, and alumni — with revenue figures not publicly disclosed. Its distribution model relies on direct community engagement, freely accessible publications, and an institutional partner network rather than commercial sales channels.

Name

Sustainable Calgary

Legal name

Sustainable Calgary Society

Website

https://sustainablecalgary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sustainable Calgary is a Calgary-based nonprofit society founded in 1996 that advances urban sustainability through longitudinal indicator research, community-led urban design projects, and public engagement, serving Calgary residents, schools, and municipal policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Urban Sustainability Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB)

Keywords

• Urban sustainability research
• Community urban design
• Sustainability indicators
• Nonprofit consulting services
• Active transportation planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Sustainable Calgary operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations and foundation grants. Major funders include Alberta Real Estate Foundation, Calgary Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. They run fundraising campaigns for specific projects like School Streets expansion.
2. Fee-for-Service Consulting: The organization provides research, evaluation, and strategic consultation services to government and institutional clients on topics including healthy communities, active transportation, and urban design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sustainable Calgary is a nonprofit that advances urban sustainability in Calgary through research, community-led design projects, and public engagement. It produces periodic State of Our City sustainability indicator reports tracking 42 indicators across 7 domains, runs community-driven urban design programs such as the Connaught Open Street and Kids Reimagine School Streets, and publishes practical guides and podcasts for citizens, schools, and policymakers.

Product overview

Sustainable Calgary operates as a nonprofit research and community organization rather than a software product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs and publications focused on urban sustainability, including the State of Our City report series tracking sustainability indicators across seven domains, the Spot On Sustainability podcast platforming student voices, and community-led urban design projects such as the award-winning Connaught Open Street. The portfolio includes practical publications like the From Asphalt to Action guide and Designing Together, educational programs like The Chickadee Challenge and Kids Reimagine School Streets, all unified by a mission to move Calgary towards a sustainable future through research, design, and community collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State of Our City Reports Periodic sustainability indicator reports tracking Calgary's progress across 40+ indicators in seven domains (economy, governance, resource use, community, wellness, education, and natural environment). Published approximately every four years since 1998 and used by policymakers, researchers, and citizens.
• Spot On Sustainability Podcast Student-led podcast platforming post-secondary voices on environmental sustainability topics, produced in partnership with Mount Royal University. Targets Calgarians interested in local environmental issues and student-led sustainability dialogue.
• Connaught Open Street Collaborative, community-led project transforming a half-block street adjacent to Connaught School into a safer, more playful public space. Approved by Calgary City Council to become a permanent park. Serves 230+ students who walk and wheel to school daily and has hosted 40+ block parties.
• From Asphalt to Action: A Guide to Launching Open Streets A practical guide sharing tools, lessons learned, and inspiration from the Connaught Open Street project to help other communities explore and implement open street initiatives in their neighborhoods.
• Designing Together Publication on collaborative design approaches for healthy communities, developed through interdisciplinary teams to share Sustainable Calgary's co-design methodology.
• Playful Places Deck of Cards A community engagement tool using card-based activities to facilitate discussions about playful urban design with community groups, schools, and residents.
• The Chickadee Challenge Community science initiative engaging Calgarians in observing and documenting urban biodiversity, particularly birds, in partnership with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
• Stepping Towards a Greener Tomorrow Child-led design program where students prototype walkable, safe, and fun routes to school, supporting low-carbon, healthy transportation choices for Calgary families.
• Kids Reimagine School Streets Program where students work with designers and researchers to prototype walkable school streets. Recognized with the 2024 National Urban Design Award (Community) from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
• Fee-for-Service Research and Consulting Research, evaluation, and strategic consultation services provided to government and institutional clients on topics including healthy communities, active transportation, and urban design.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of parents want the Connaught Open Street to become permanent (2024 Parent Council Survey)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mount Royal UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partner for Spot On podcast, a student-led sustainability podcast platformed by Sustainable Calgary. Professor Mauricio Latapi co-founded the podcast project. Gini Weber, assistant professor at MRU, contributes as podcast guest expert.
• Active Neighbourhoods CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013National collaboration led by Sustainable Calgary (2013-2020) bringing together residents, designers, and researchers to codesign healthier cities. Expanded through Housing Transportation Food Nexus program.
• SPECTACLE Bureau for Architecture and UrbanismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaborator on urban design projects including Kids Reimagine School Streets, Connaught Open Street, and various neighborhood design schemes. Jessie Andjelic from SPECTACLE co-founded the organization and continues as collaborating architect. Philip Vandermey serves as founding partner.
• Ever Active SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner on school street projects, working with students to evaluate environments for safety and develop ideas to improve routes to school. Collaborated on Connaught Open Street and Kids Reimagine School Streets.
• City of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner providing funding, permits, and policy support for urban sustainability projects. Council approved the Connaught Open Street becoming a permanent park in May 2025. Works with various City departments on planning and transportation.
• University of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research support, student involvement, and expert consultation. Department of Biological Sciences and Schulich School of Engineering collaborate on projects. Noel Keough serves as Assistant Professor at Faculty of Environmental Design.
• The TULA ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture consultant engaged to design the permanent Connaught Open Street park space, creating the proposed concept design.
• Calgary Board of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school board for Connaught Open Street project, with Connaught School being a Calgary Board of Education elementary school. Students from multicultural backgrounds speaking 40 languages participate in programs.
• Beltline Neighbourhood AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner on Connaught Open Street project, part of stakeholder working group alongside students, parents, teachers, and City of Calgary.
• SAITminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical institute partner on Connaught Open Street project.
• Perkins&WillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm that hosted Celia Lee's presentation during Calgary's inaugural Design Week, part of d.talks and partner network bringing Design Week to the city.
• Federation of Calgary CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner on Connaught Open Street project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• West Coast Environmental Law: Canadian environmental law and advocacy nonprofit working on environmental rights and policy. Adjacent nonprofit in the Canadian environmental-advocacy ecosystem rather than a direct operational competitor.
• Federation of Calgary Communities: Calgary-area umbrella organization for community associations. Adjacent rather than competing; Sustainable Calgary partners with the Federation, and the relationship illustrates the local community-organization ecosystem in which Sustainable Calgary operates.

Broad incumbents

• David Suzuki Foundation: Major Canadian environmental advocacy organization with broad sustainability and climate programs. Comparable Canadian nonprofit structure and sustainability mission, but much larger scale and national-policy orientation.
• Pembina Institute: Larger Canadian environmental nonprofit focused on clean energy and sustainability policy research and advocacy. Comparable in mission and Canadian nonprofit structure, but with broader energy-policy scope and larger footprint.

Direct peers

• Green Communities Canada: National Canadian nonprofit running community-based environmental programs including active transportation, urban forestry, and sustainability education. Directly comparable program portfolio and community-delivery model.
• Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST): Vancouver-based nonprofit advocating for active transportation and sustainable urban mobility. Directly comparable in active-transportation focus, school-streets advocacy, and Canadian community-engagement nonprofit model.
• Evergreen: National Canadian nonprofit focused on making cities more liveable through community engagement and urban sustainability programs. Highly comparable mission, community-led methodology, and Canadian nonprofit funding model.
• The Bentway: Toronto-based nonprofit operating public space under and around the Gardiner Expressway for cultural and community programming. Directly comparable urban public-space prototyping and community engagement work.
• Institute for Sustainable Communities: International nonprofit that partners with communities on sustainability and resilience programs. Comparable community-led sustainability model and co-design approach.

Emerging players

• Calgary Climate Hub: Calgary-focused climate action nonprofit mobilizing residents and businesses around emissions reduction. Comparable geographic focus and community-engagement approach, but narrower climate-action scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sustainableyyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-calgary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Calgary