At a time when community stakeholders care more about the environment than ever before, a newly updated Green Communities Guide from Canada's Land Stewardship Centre highlights the environmental, economic and health benefits in nature-based solutions (NBS).

2017 brought positive news for the new-home market, but there's still room to improve

Will 2018 bring good news or bad news for Calgary's new-home market? As with many aspects of the real estate market, it depends on your focus.

"Looking at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. data, we saw an improvement in starts in both the single- and multi-family sectors in 2017," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

Airdrie's history is full of colourful people and interesting stories

When R.J. Hawkey arrived in the region of the Airdrie Station House along the Calgary to Edmonton railway, he became one of the first private land owners in the fledgling community.

Hawkey decided to build a school on some of his land, and set himself up as Airdrie's first teacher.

Housing industry expert discusses everything from affordable housing to the best room in her home

Marissa Toohey has one of the better views of Calgary's housing industry – and we're not talking about the one out of her living room. As manager of government relations and committees for the Calgary Region at CHBA - UDI Calgary Region Association. Toohey works closely with municipalities in the broader region on matters impacting the building and development industry.

CREB®Now recently had the opportunity to sit down with her to chat about everything from affordable housing to a national housing strategy. Here's what she had to say:

Three companies to submit RFPs for Moustache Lands

The "moustache" that lies at the entrance to Canmore from Calgary will soon boast a residential development designed to alleviate the mountain resort town's lack of affordable, available housing.

The four-acre (1.6 hectare) site — known as the Moustache Lands because the property is composed of loops created by the interchanges off the TransCanada Highway — is owned by the municipality, which has now shortlisted three potential developers to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP).

Residential development to continue in northwest

Developers in several northwest communities will finally be able to move forward with construction with news the City of Calgary has begun installing a new sewage pipeline through Bowness.

The two-kilometre Bowness Sanitary Trunk will largely be dug with the help of a German machine which will work "around the clock" to drill a one-metre wide tunnel from 13th Avenue N.W. to Bow Crescent N.W.

Addition of the new line, which is expected to be completed in fall 2016, will allow development that had been on hold due to sewer capacity concerns to move forward in the communities of Bowness, Canada Olympic Park, Crestmont, Greenwood/Greenbriar, Rockyridge, Scenic Acres, Silver Springs, Tuscany, Valley Ridge and Varsity.

Levy renewal raises questions about community development

Calgary is familiar with new developments – so much so that the construction crane synonymous with the downtown skyline and beyond has affectionately been referred to as the city's official bird.

Yet, following a closed-door meeting earlier this year where city council agreed to freeze developers' special requests for more suburban land until a new levy agreement can be negotiated later this year, many are questioning how a new project goes from an idea to reality, and who is ultimately paying for it.

The City and suburban developers are currently in the final year of a five-year levy agreement. In 2010, the city increased its development levy to about $315,000 per hectare, doubling the number from the previous agreement.