Catwalks are low hanging fruit, and it's time we gave them their dues

Catwalks were originally built as shortcuts for locals to navigate dead end streets, but they’re often inaccessible and no signs tell you where they lead. My old neighbourhood was filled with them, long, tree covered ones that weaved through the community. I originally bought my little townhouse because on google maps, it looked close to Fish Creek Park and grocery stores and shops. It seemed walkable, but for years, I ended up driving short distances because the walking route meant navigating cul-de-sacs, parking lots, and busy roads. Last summer, and in lock down with a baby that would only nap in the stroller, I stumbled on a series of catwalks I’d never seen before. At the end, I popped out at my local Co-op faster than I’d ever got there before. This lack of accessibility and wayfinding is a missed opportunity for otherwise sedentary kids to walk to school, for people to walk to do errands and reap the benefits of doing so, and to have livelier, more connected communities.

For the Policy Companion to our Reimagine Catwalks Playbook, we wanted to know what we could learn from other places. The interesting news? There wasn’t much. Calgary’s catwalks are unique, but there are some examples out there that show us what possibilities are in store for these amazing little shortcuts.  

Ruelle Verte -Montreal QC

If you want to picture what a catwalk on your block could look like, take a gander at Montreal’s “Green Alleyways” or Ruelle Vertes. Though not catwalks, the alleyways are similar, weaving through neighbourhoods and squeezing between homes.

Montreal’s program turns underused alleys into flexible places for locals. Every alley is different and is reimagined based on what the neighbours need - for example, garden beds, places for kids to play, a green space for walking or commuting or visiting. 

Ruelle Verte is funded by the city, and the work is done in partnership with the borough and the locals. More here: 

http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=7357%2C114005570&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL & https://montreal.ca/en/topics/green-alleyways

My Great Neighbourhood Grant Program -Victoria BC

This program gets residents involved in making their neighbourhoods better. Locals vote on projects, and those projects are funded by the city and supported by a dedicated city staff member who helps navigate policy and city departments from start to finish. 

Activate YYC in Calgary is similar to Victoria’s Great Neighborhood Grant Program. Our work with the Federation of Calgary Communities and Activate YYC 2.0 revealed just how much folks want to change their local spaces for the better, but it also revealed how hard change could be. People worked really hard to help make change, but policies and procedures often got in the way. Some communities had to move their projects to private property while others were funneled away from big, permanent projects to temporary “Paint the Pavement” events. Victoria’s program really benefits from the connection to a dedicated city staff member who helps communities navigate policy.

Bridgeland Wayfinding - Calgary AB

In 2019, the Bridgeland Community Association installed wayfinding and benches around their community. A big motivator for the project was to connect seniors to the community and give them places to rest along the way.

“We hope you will explore places you have never been to and that this project will better connect residents in East Riverside with the community as a whole—and vice versa! Pick up a map at a cool local business near you or the hall - or just view the ones posted around the community as you explore.”

Research shows that people are feeling increasingly more isolated and lonely in our communities. We leave our garage, drive to work, and come home to our garage - we simply don’t bump into our neighbours. Imagine the change in our communities if signs told you that the local drug store, park, school, or coffee shop was a 10-minute walk away down a series of quiet, winding paths, nestled next to your neighbours homes.

Research also shows that when there are destinations to walk to and great paths to get there, people choose to walk more. Catwalks could be those great paths. They are low hanging fruit, and it’s time we gave them their dues.