New developments increasingly designed to minimize impact on agricultural neighbours

A suburban home with a two-car garage is hardly what most people would call a potential threat to our nation's food security.

Yet as subdivisions push evermore into rural areas — with neighbourhoods bordering on fields of wheat and other crops — their impact on agricultural land has increasingly become a hot-button topic, says Tim Dietzler, an agricultural expert with Rocky View County.

"This is not a new issue in this area or any area in Alberta with development new agricultural land," he says. "But many municipalities now pay much more attention to the potential problems that can arise."

A look at the evolution of Calgary's playgrounds 

These aren't your parents' playgrounds.

Calgary's outdoor play areas are pushing the boundaries on safety, interactivity and, most importantly, fun, say local experts.

"The best ones for this are ones that are unique, so kids can ask for them by name," said Dana Wheatley, an experiential playground expert and mom of three young children. "A great example of this is Parkdale's Helicopter playground."

Wheatley runs the popular website CalgaryPlaygroundReview.com, which highlights many of the city's best playgrounds.