+15

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Facing north, +15 sign and covered walkway linking the TransCanada Tower (east) and Fifth Avenue Place
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Facing north, +15 sign and covered walkway linking the TransCanada Tower (east) and Fifth Avenue Place
Facing west, three level skywalk linking 444 7th Ave S.W. (north) to the Calgary Eaton Centre
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Facing west, three level skywalk linking 444 7th Ave S.W. (north) to the Calgary Eaton Centre
Facing west, skywalk over the C-Train tracks linking the downtown Sears department store to the 4th Street Southwest LRT station
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Facing west, skywalk over the C-Train tracks linking the downtown Sears department store to the 4th Street Southwest LRT station
+15 network in downtown Calgary
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+15 network in downtown Calgary

The Plus 15 or +15 Skyway network in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the world's most extensive pedestrian skywalk system with a total length of 16 km (10 miles) and 59 bridges[1]. The system is so named because the skywalks are approximately 15 feet (4.6 metres) above street level.

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[edit] History

Based on a similar walkway system in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the system was conceived and designed by architect Harold Hanen, who worked for the City of Calgary Planning Department from 1966 to 1969. This development earned him the 1970 Vincent Massey Award for Merit in Urban Planning.

Opening in 1970, the +15 network has expanded to include 59 enclosed bridges connecting dozens of downtown Calgary buildings. The central core of the system is a series of enclosed shopping centres, and the City's flagship department stores.

New developments were required to connect to the walkway system; in exchange for this, they were offered more floorspace (the "bonus density"). When not physically able to connect to nearby buildings, developers contribute to the "Plus 15 Fund"", managed by the city, used to finance other missing connections[2].

[edit] Controversy

Although there are currently no plans to remove bridges or to discontinue building new ones, the system has received some criticism in recent years. The system has been blamed for the decline in street life in the Downtown Commercial Core.[3] Street life is instead concentrated on streets (such as Stephen Avenue) or in neighbourhoods where there are no bridges (such as Eau Claire and the Beltline). This may be due (at least, in part) to the removal of much of the commercial and retail real-estate from the street and to the interior "+15 level" of the buildings connected by the system.

[edit] Future of the +15 system

In recent years, the city has begun to examine and evaluate the system.[3] Part of the goal of these studies was to find ways of addressing the problem of decreased daytime street life on some downtown streets. The possibility of limiting expansion has been raised to encourage more pedestrian street traffic. The +15 system bridges are integral with the buildings they serve. They are also a design requirement for new buildings according to city planning bylaws. This may change in the future, however, if the city begins to consider relaxing these bylaws.

[edit] The +15 in popular culture

The Plus 15 is one of the central plot elements in the 2000 Gary Burns film waydowntown.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Downtown Calgary - Facts and statistics
  2. ^ City of Calgary - Plus 15 System
  3. ^ a b "+15 User Survey", a City of Calgary study published in 1998

[edit] External links

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