About this Event
Community Developent Learning Initaitive is partnering with Sustainable Calgary for a grassroot learning experience realted to placemaking.
On September 21st, meet us at Connaught Open Street! The open street has won awards, a model of placemaking in action and where community continues to connect. We're having a conversation with Executive Director of Sustainable Calgary, Celia Lee. We'll be learning more about the process, dedication and exercising our skills of activating public spaces.
If you have questions, concerns don't hesitate to reach out: [email protected]
Who is Celia Lee?
Celia helps communities take action through research, prototyping, policy and permanent public-space interventions. She led a made-in-Alberta approach to co-designing healthy neighbourhoods and worked with partners to integrate new knowledge on healthy cities into policy and practice. Much of her work involves convening and coordinating interdisciplinary teams—designers, engineers, educators, researchers, and community leaders—to move ideas from concept to implementation. In this role, she led a four-firm team to develop The Playbook for Healthy Communities, a guide that helps Calgarians incorporate healthy design into the development process. She also kickstarted Stepping Towards a Greener Tomorrow, a program that supports children to design and prototype low-carbon, healthy routes to school. The project resulted in three precedent-setting, award-winning public-space prototypes. Celia has co-authored publications including Building a Stronger Nonprofit Workforce (2025), the Ottawa Hunger Report (2025), Kids Reimagine School Streets (2022), and The Cost of Poverty in Ontario (2019). She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Biology and a Master of Environmental Design.
What is Open Street?
The Connaught Open Street is a collaborative, community-led project that provides a safer way for kids to get to school. This half block of 10 Street between 12th Ave and 13th Ave SW, located next to Connaught School was a place kids previously described as busy, noisy and dangerous.
After identifying the problem, the kids of Connaught school proposed a solution: turn the street into a park! We are excited to announce that the temporary Open Street has gained funding and approvals to be transformed into a permanent green space!
Keep reading to learn more about the project, here!
Logistics and details:
There are no washrooms on site
Free parking is available, snacks will be provided.
Event venue & nearby stays
Connaught School Open Street, 1315 10 Street Southwest, Calgary, Canada
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