Growing without a plan is like driving without a map: You may reach your destination, but don't count on it. As it charts a course for growth, the City of Calgary is counting on its Guide for Local Area Planning to help communities find their way forward.

Anne Johnson and Jessica Klassen are two Tuxedo Park residents that can't say enough about the community's funky vibe and small-town community spirit.

"It's a really great place to live," said Johnson, who moved to the neighbourhood four years ago.

Klassen and her husband moved to the neighbourhood in 2004 as newlyweds, purchasing a charming, 1920s-era bungalow with an oversized backyard. They were drawn to the home by the location and the home's curb appeal, sense of history and great bones. They now have two boys who attend the local elementary school and ride bikes through the tree-lined streets with friends they have known since kindergarten.

With its diverse mix of housing types, rich history and close proximity to Calgary's core, Tuxedo Park is rapidly transforming into a thriving community of hip, young families.

"There are so many young families in the neighbourhood. And I've met so many new people, just by walking around the community with my baby in his stroller," said Anne Johnson, president of the Tuxedo Park Community Association.

Inner city is a term we use and misuse in equal measures, and as Calgary grows and the inner city's perceived boundaries seem to expand, understanding this term may be more relevant than we realize.

Calgary's century homes are still turning heads

If you're lucky enough to live to 100, you'll probably slow down a bit. But many of Calgary's 100-year-old homes are still going strong and drawing plenty of attention.

"These are homes that have stood the test of time," said Karen Paul, director of communications for the Calgary Heritage Initiative Society (CHI), a grassroots, member-based organization dedicated to the preservation, and productive use and interpretation, of buildings and sites of historic and architectural interest in Calgary. "They offer a level of craftsmanship, character, uniqueness and aesthetic beauty that is hard to find in modern homes."