The master-planned vision for Calgary's East Village revitalization, launched in the mid-2000s, is becoming a living, breathing reality, now more than ever.

Alain Dupere has lived in East Village since 2011. He's watching the transformation happen one day at a time, observing the changes while he walks to and from work. Dupere, who is also president of the East Village Neighbourhood Association, says that although the area is still under construction, its vibrancy is increasing as more buildings become move-in ready and amenities continue to pop up.

"It's a great place to live and to visit. Anyone can use the amenities in our neighbourhood," he said. "It's becoming a destination for the greater Calgary (area) and beyond, and that's a nice thing."

Some might believe that the excitement around this developing community, and the desire to live and work there, are new phenomena. But according to Harry Sanders, Calgary's former historian laureate, it's not far off from the activities of the space over a century ago, when non-indigenous people first arrived in the area often referred to as the "birthplace of Calgary."

Nicole Butz - Mission
For Nicole, the day begins with a short stroll from her riverside, two-bedroom condo (she has a downtown view and awakens to the honking sounds of geese) to La Boulangerie Bakery Cafe on Fourth Street to grab a latte.

She calls herself an ardent inner-city junkie. "I don't really do the suburbs well, and Mission's vibrant but a little bit out of the core, so you get a different vibe. It just feels like home."

When Brian Taylor looks out the window of his home in EchoHaven, the view is a street lined with houses of varying architectural styles.

However, beneath the surface, many of those homes have similar characteristics designed to make them eco-friendly and highly energy efficient in a development purposefully built with no natural gas service.

While it is known for its breathtaking beauty, proximity to Canmore and some excellent ice cream, Cochrane is also a community with a rich and diverse history, fuelled by its ranching origins.

As one of Canada's fastest growing mid-sized cities, Airdrie forecasts population growth of nearly 50 per cent over the next six years, with a head count that is expected to swell from its 2018 census figure of 68,091 to almost 100,000.

It's a growth curve that has only steepened in recent years, as in the past 10 years alone the population has doubled, up from 34,116.

One of five communities in Calgary's new north within the Symons Valley area, Sage Hill topped the 2018 census charts for population growth, expanding by 1,136 residents over the past year from 6,083 to 7,219 people.

And that growth is expected to continue, while the community's latest development, Sage Hill Quarter, comes to life. It's really a community within a community and it's destined to bring a downtown vibe to this suburban oasis.

Like its namesake, Harmony exudes balance, peace and all things Zen. Tucked into Rocky View County, with the foothills as its backdrop, this artist's and sports-enthusiast's haven offers a fully integrated standalone community, a place where one can truly live, work, shop and play.

In just over six months time, an area structure plan (ASP) setting out the vision for a natural, amenity-rich, 570-hectare parcel of land in Calgary's deep south will go before city council.

The proposed new community of Ricardo Ranch is named after an area ranch owned by Calgary Stampede co-founder Senator Patrick Burns, and first established by William Crawley Ricardo.