On Oct. 16, Calgarians will go to the polls to determine the city's mayor, councillors and school board trustees. In the competition for the mayor's chair, a three-man race has emerged between incumbent Mayor Naheed Nenshi, veteran city councillor Andre Chabot, and local lawyer and former Alberta Progressive Conservative party president Bill Smith.

Nenshi, Chabot and Smith recently sat down with CREB®Now's Mario Toneguzzi to discuss some of the most important real estate and housing-related issues impacting Calgarians, now and in the future.

On Sept. 26, the CREB® Charitable Foundation donated $300,000 to three deserving local charities through its Investing in HOPE program at its 30th anniversary celebration.

A variety of the foundation's donors, sponsors, local charities and REALTORS® filled CREB®'s atrium to celebrate the foundation's 30-year legacy. Attendees shared stories of community impact and toasted to its future.

Habitat for Humanity celebrates completion of six new affordable homes in Bowness

Habitat for Humanity recently celebrated the completion of six new homes in Bowness that will provide affordable home ownership opportunities to six Calgary families.

"At Habitat, we know how difficult it is for families to break into the housing market," said Gerrad Oishi, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta. "That's why we're committed to working with our community to provide affordable home ownership opportunities for families. We're so thankful for every sponsor, donor, community partner and volunteer who has stepped up to make affordable home ownership opportunities possible for six families in Bowness."

City of Calgary Main Streets initiative aims to revitalize streetscapes and bring communities together

In late September, a throng of Bridgeland residents turned out for the first annual community-organized passeggiata, visiting cultural and business stops along the neighbourhood's main thoroughfare, ending in celebration at the street's General Square.

This passeggiata — a leisurely promenade or stroll in the Italian tradition — and other activities like it are exactly what the City of Calgary's Main Streets initiative is designed to encourage across 24 different city streets.

South Health Campus anchors diverse southeast-Calgary communities

Right now, it takes Michael John Suva 30 to 45 minutes on public transit to commute from his home in Shawnessy to his job as a nursing attendant at Calgary's South Health Campus (SHC), the city's newest hospital, located in the deep southeast.

"It's not close enough," said Suva.

Battistella Developments raises the bar for architectural design in the Calgary condo market

Battistella Developments' condo highrises are marked by explosive colour and sharp artistry, boldly standing in several trendy neighbourhoods across Calgary's urban core.

Their names – and striking architecture – have become iconic: Orange, Chocolate, Chartreuce, Brunette, Ink, Pixel and Colours.

The goal is to bring something unique to the market, "every single time," said Chris Pollen, Battistella's director of sales and marketing.

Inventory increases and sales drop in September, but overall sales for the year remain higher than last year

Strong gains in the first half of 2017 have put Calgary year-to-date sales at seven per cent above last years' levels and 11 per cent below long-term averages, but challenges remain with easing sales and rising new listings.

Inventories rose across all property types to 6,861 units, while both apartment- and attached-style properties saw the highest inventory on record for the month of September.

City continues process of intensification, as communities adjust to higher-density living

For a long time, news stories about development in Calgary tended to paint a picture of a city growing out of control, with headlines like "Calgary battles urban sprawl" or "Calgary versus the car: the city that declared war on urban sprawl."

Rylan Graham, an instructor in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Environmental Design, says after the Second World War, much of the population growth in cities occurred on the urban-rural fringe.

"This is the form of growth that is often connected with the term urban sprawl," he said. "Generally, planning has come to recognize the ills of urban sprawl – that it is unsustainable socially, economically and environmentally."

Find out where Calgary's councillor candidates stand on several housing-related issues