Healthy Communities
Healthy communities are environments that prioritize and promote physical, mental, and social well-being through accessible healthcare, green spaces, affordable housing, and community engagement.
ResourceHealthy Homes & Healthy Communities Toolkit
The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health have drawn people’s attention to how critically important their homes, neighbourhoods, and communities are to their health. Public health works proactively to create the conditions for long-term recovery by focusing not only on the disease but on promoting the health of people. Healthy people are the foundation of a healthy economy.
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Creating emergency accommodations for Wood Buffalo Housing
This project will provide 30 multi-family units in one of Alberta’s most progressive communities that through the last few years have been going through extraordinary change. This project will meet immediate needs in this extraordinary time of multiple stressors in the community with industry in flux, COVID-19 and now in the wake of a major wildfire and now a flood. In the long-term, these units will provide bridge accommodations as people look to longer-term real estate options.
ResourceWelcome to the Lake
Lakes and water bodies are a limited resource in Alberta and the demand for lake properties is high. The impact of significant development around water bodies combined with a changing climate is negatively affecting the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of Alberta lakes. These factors also have an impact on real estate sales and property values.
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Studying the impact of COVID-19 on Alberta real estate markets
This project uses data-driven approaches (e.g., machine learning) to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Alberta’s real estate markets. The University of Alberta will collaborate closely with the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton so that the research aligns with industry stakeholder interests. The main objective is to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on:
ResourceHeritage Inspires YYC
Heritage districts and heritage places of interest can create niche markets for shopping, living, and eating in “differentiated” heritage environments that contribute to urban liveability and the attraction of talent. The Calgary Heritage Initiative’s Heritage Inspires YYC includes a tab for realtors and comprehensive FAQs that cover everything from place-making to urban planning policy and the steps needed to designate a heritage property. It features 36 community histories, 17 flyover videos of potential heritage districts, 50+ examples of new uses for old buildings, as well as success stories of revitalization and designation. Visitors to the website can learn about how heritage contributes to economic recovery, sustainability, and urban liveability.
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Additional Small Grants and Sponsorships 2019-2020 for COVID-19
In March, as the COVID-19 lockdown began, AREF’s Board recognized that the province’s real estate industry required additional short-term support, and in response, the Board more than doubled the Sponsorship and Small Grants budget by adding an additional $150,000 to ensure the Foundation responded nimbly to the needs of its stakeholders.
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Civic Commons Catalyst
Supporting Transformative Revitalization in Alberta’s Urban Development Sector Through Uncertain times – The Civic Commons Catalyst is a timely, creative, shared platform that brings together organizations and institutions to research, convene, evaluate, and develop public and private real estate opportunities in Alberta. The Catalyst is a solutions lab that will address the challenges facing the Alberta and Calgary urban development sector including the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the built environment, impacts of the downturn in the oil and gas sector and the vacancy and underutilization of assets in Calgary’s downtown core.
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Toolkit for healthy, resilient homes and communities in times of pandemic recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health have drawn people’s attention to how critically important their homes, neighbourhoods, and communities are to their health. Public health works proactively to create the conditions for long-term recovery by focusing not only on the disease, but on promoting the health of people. Healthy people are the foundation of a healthy economy.
ResourceGreen Communities Guide
The Green Communities Guide is an essential tool to help communities plan and implement nature-based solutions and strategies to conserve water, protect water quality, preserve agricultural land, and protect critical open spaces and wildlife habitats.
ResourceFriends of Fish Creek Pocket Map
Fish Creek Provincial Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America with more than 1,300 hectares of natural habitat, rich biodiversity, and loads of hiking, walking, and biking trails to explore.
NewsEvict Radon Update: UCalgary research finds short-term radon test kits are not effective in measuring radon gas exposure
For immediate release: As awareness increases about the health danger of radon gas, more people are making the decision to test their homes for the deadly gas. A University of Calgary-led study finds the only reliable way to measure exposure to radon gas is with a long-term testing kit, which takes readings within the home for 90 or more days.
NewsSeptember 2019 Community Investment
The Board of Governors of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation approved $275,000 in community investment projects at their recent meeting.