Meet 5 Calgary Visionaries Changing the City

It takes vision to look at what a city is and imagine all that it could be. These five Calgarians work in different ways to build a city that brings their vision to life for all of us.

Frank Lonardelli is the Visionary Reshaping Calgary’s 17th Avenue S.W.

The CEO and founder of Arlington Street Investments and his team created eight new development sites that will transform and densify the corridor.

A black and white portrait of a man wearing a suit and glasses with his fingers crossed.
Photo by Jared Sych.

 

Wanda Dalla Costa is the Visionary Creating Public Spaces Rooted in Indigenous Worldviews

Wanda Dalla Costa is the principal and owner of Tawaw Architecture Collective, which collaborated on the $660-million Arts Commons Transformation project in downtown Calgary.

A black and white portrait of a smiling woman with her arms crossed.
Photo by Cooper & O’Hara.

 

Jasmine Palardy is the Visionary Building Collaborative Spaces for Calgary’s Future

Jasmine Palardy has spent more than a decade fostering collaborative spaces and community-driven projects like Beakerhead and the Platform Innovation Centre.

A black and white portrait of a woman sitting with her arms crossed over the back of a chair.
Photo by Jared Sych.

 

Ron Jaicarran is the Visionary Empowering Local Leaders and Helping Neighbourhoods Thrive

Ron Jaicarran provides community leaders with the resources to help their neighbourhoods and neighbours thrive.

A black and white portrait of man wearing circular glasses.
Photo by Jared Sych.

 

Cecile Kotyk is the Visionary Dedicated to Creating Equity and Social Justice in Calgary’s Urban Development

As an assistant professor at the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Cecile Kotyk’s research focuses on design justice and delves into the intersection of design, equity, social justice and health.

A black and white portrait of a woman wearing a blazer sitting on a stool.
Photo by Jared Sych.

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This article appears in the September 2025 issue of Avenue Calgary.

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