Governments of all levels have been talking about ending homelessness for some time now, but Medicine Hat is actually walking the talk.

With a population over 63,000, Medicine Hat, for all intents and purposes, has put an end to chronic homelessness – a cycle in which individuals are perpetually stuck, residing in shelters, or worse, living on the streets for extended periods.

It's a goal seven municipalities across Alberta, including Calgary, vowed to accomplish almost a decade ago. But only Medicine Hat can claim success — outside of a handful of individuals who continue to use the city's shelter system on a long-term basis.

Beyond bricks and mortar, it's culture that speaks to the heart of the city. The annual Mayor's Lunch for Arts Champions is proof the arts community is not only alive, but thriving in Calgary.

This year's sold out lunch, held on March 22, once again brought together Calgary's business and art communities to recognize the important relationships that foster artistic achievement.

"We see leaders in our community create canvases for dreams to take shape," said Randy Ferguson, COO of Strategic Group, the Champion sponsor of the Mayor's Lunch. "That is what makes a great city. Not a good or a functional city, but a great city. One that people learn from, admire, and replicate."

Some public art is iconic: think Wonderland, the giant child's head that sits in front of the downtown Bow building or The Conversation, the statue of two businessmen talking on Stephen Avenue.

Others inspire or enchant: think the Women are Persons statues of the Famous Five in Olympic Plaza or Auspicious Find, the shape-changing 15,000-glass marble sculpture that sits in Prince's Island Park.

With 1,200 different pieces, these "moments of delight" that surveyed Calgarians asked for in public art, are everywhere, says Sarah Iley, City of Calgary manager of arts and culture.

For more than a decade, most of Victoria Park has languished, abandoned and checkered with asphalt parking lots after the city expropriated land from about 200 property owners to allow the Calgary Stampede to proceed with expansion plans.

But, a few new residential hi-rises have cropped up around its edges, signaling that investors and buyers find promise in the area's future.

Calgary's land agency recently added fuel to that promise by hiring a team of urban designers and architects to create a master plan for the area as part of its Rivers District Revitalization Plan mandate.

When it came online almost 17 years ago, the southeast community of Cranston, with its characteristic windmill at its entrance, was at the forefront of new and exciting urban planning – design that pushed forward a new way of thinking about community, where access to nature and connecting people was top-of-mind.

"Cranston is a great example of thinking differently about community. It creates plenty of opportunities for residents of all generations to meet up, get outside, have fun, and engage in community events," said Jessie Seymour, senior manager of strategic marketing at Brookfield Residential, the developer behind the community.

Matt Greer is not a fan of car travel. "Anytime I drive in Calgary, I feel it's a disconnected, slow way to get around," he said.

Greer's attitude toward driving has been shaped by his decade long experience living in Calgary's Beltline community. Greer estimates he and his wife, who also have a two-year-old daughter, only use their car once a week. They can often bike or walk where they need to go. It's something he considers the ultimate benefit of living in the city centre.

In fact, proximity to the workplace was the main reason Greer purchased his apartment-style condo in the Beltline in 2007.

Over the past decade Marda Loop has evolved and changed, transforming from a quiet, off-the-radar neighbourhood into a hip, city centre destination. The change is being fueled, in part, by Marda Loop's business district, which runs along 33rd and 34th Avenue south west.

"Marda Loop is growing up from a commercial area in a suburban setting to a much more urban, walkable and lively business community," said Bob van Wegen, executive director of the Marda Loop business district.

Named after the Marda Theatre and the old 33rd Avenue streetcar, which "looped" back to downtown, Marda Loop was originally limited to the business district.

Michael Podwalski and his wife Kate relocated to Calgary from Ottawa three years ago and purchased a starter home in upper Cranston, practically sight unseen.

The experience worked out exceptionally well. So last year, they commissioned the builder, Cedarglen Homes, to build their dream home in Cranston's Riverstone.

When an opportunity arose to expand their financial portfolio and leap into real estate investment, the couple went with Cedarglen Living, the multi-family arm of Cedarglen Homes, purchasing a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium with an east-facing balcony at Seton Park Place in Seton's new urban district.

Sanda Peric made a happy discovery since moving into her new condo, Vivace at West 85th, in Calgary's West Springs community.

"I basically don't need a car," said the 20-something of her first home purchase.
"I can go grocery shopping; I can get my nails done, all within walking distance. There are a ton of amenities nearby."

"West Springs is the perfect mix of suburban living with its sense of quiet and community and being close to the Core. I hop on the train, and I'm there in 10 minutes," said Peric, who takes the LRT to her job downtown.

A large grant aims to improve the economic development of the multicultural business district along 17th Avenue S.E.