Calgary Downtown — City Centre with +15 Skywalk System & Skyscrapers

A City Where You Can Live Without Going Outside

Calgary is a city that people tend to underestimate. Many know it as the gateway to the Rocky Mountains or the home of the Calgary Stampede, but few realise how unusual its downtown really is. Here, at a height of about 4.5 metres above the sidewalks, stretches the grand glass walkway system +15, connecting over 130 buildings. It is the world's largest network of elevated pedestrian bridges, spanning approximately 18 kilometres. Office workers here can commute to work, have lunch, hit the gym and even visit a doctor — without ever stepping onto the pavement.

During the winter months, when temperatures plunge to -30°C and icy winds cut to the bone, these walkways become a genuine lifeline. A comfortable temperature is maintained inside year-round, and during peak hours up to 20,000 people walk through them. It is a full-fledged city above a city — complete with shops, cafés, parks and even residential spaces.

Stephen Avenue: The Historic Artery of the West

Directly beneath the +15 walkways lies Stephen Avenue — a pedestrian street named after George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen and president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Before 1911 it was simply called 8th Street, but has since been designated a National Historic District of Canada with a unique collection of Art Deco buildings.

In the early 20th century, this was where Western Canada's first department stores opened — Hudson's Bay Company and Eaton's. In the 1970s, the stretch from 4th to 1st Street was closed to vehicles and converted into a pedestrian zone, a revolutionary move for the entire country. Beneath the sidewalks of Stephen Avenue, a network of underground tunnels still survives, originally used for delivering goods to shops.

Skyscrapers Engineered for Chinook Winds

Calgary ranks second in Canada for the number of skyscrapers after Toronto, a direct result of the oil boom of the 1970s–1980s. But the architecture here is shaped not only by economics but also by climate. Chinook winds, capable of reaching speeds of 100–120 km/h, force engineers to devise unconventional solutions.

The The Bow building is curved in a crescent shape not for aesthetics alone — this form deflects and disperses gusty winds, preventing dangerous vortices at street level. Its façade features a giant light installation called "Wonderland" by artist Jaume Plensa. The atrium of Brookfield Place is home to Canada's tallest living wall — roughly 15 metres high, composed of over 7,000 plants. And the façade of Telus Sky is equipped with dynamic LED lighting that changes colour based on weather and air quality.

Chinook: The Wind That Eats Snow

Calgary residents know: if a horizontal band of clouds appears over the Rockies to the west, chinook is approaching. This warm, dry wind can raise temperatures by 20–25°C in just a few hours, instantly turning snowdrifts into puddles. Locals have nicknamed it the "snoweater" for this very ability.

But chinook can also be destructive. Gusts of up to 120 km/h tear off roofing and overturn trucks. Due to sudden changes in atmospheric pressure, many Calgarians suffer from the so-called "chinook headache". And when the wind melts snow on skyscraper rooftops, water drips down the eaves and freezes, forming giant icicles that pose a danger to pedestrians below.

A City Within a City: 350,000 Daytime Population

Downtown Calgary is a unique ecosystem. Only about 20,000 people live here permanently, but by midday the population soars to 350,000 thanks to office workers. Inside the +15 system, its own traffic rules are in effect, a dedicated security service operates, and street musicians perform exclusively within the glass walkways.

Navigation through this labyrinth is made easier by colour coding — blue, green, purple, red — each colour leading to a specific district. This makes the +15 system not merely a means of getting around, but a fully fledged urban space with its own culture and rhythm of life.

What You Can See on the Camera

This live webcam shows downtown Calgary — the intersection of Stephen Avenue and 2nd Street, where historic architecture stands alongside ultramodern skyscrapers. In frame is a pedestrian zone with street furniture, the glass walkways of the +15 system at second- and third-floor level, and the façades of The Bow and Telus Sky in the background. In winter, you can watch chinook winds sweep the snow off the sidewalks, and in summer you can see the city filling with tourists ahead of the Stampede. The online camera operates around the clock, allowing you to see Calgary at any time of day — from morning traffic on Stephen Avenue to the evening illumination of the skyscrapers.