The city of Calgary is home to more than 1,000 playgrounds that families can choose from for a fun-filled outing.

"What I love most about Calgary is there are so many options here," said Dana Wheatley, founder of Calgary Playground Review and mom to three children.

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.

Calgary is no concrete jungle

In addition to the streets, sidewalks and skyscrapers that define most large cities, Calgary is blessed with enough parks and natural spaces to leave other major centres green with envy.

"It's very important to have a variety of open spaces for relief from urban living, whether it's pathways for exercise, parks with playgrounds or just a place to kick a soccer ball," said Travis Shaw, planning and development lead with Calgary Parks.

Silverhorn acreage development focuses on conservation and enhancement of nature

For 25 years, Mark Kwasnicki has not only been living in the Bearspaw area on the doorstep of Calgary's northern boundary, he has also been building large, custom homes for some who would become his neighbours.

He knows what people want when it comes to acreage homes – including the high-end construction specs, impressive designs, and all the bells and whistles – but he also knows what they want from the development itself.

Developing urban ecosystems in our own yards

When thinking about preserving complex ecosystems, many people think of our provincial parks and large-scale grasslands. However, with the total urban land in Canada doubling in the last 40 years, it's impossible to ignore the native species that fill the patchwork of green spaces that are our yards.

Birds, in particular, are not only losing their natural habitats faster than you can say "tweet," but are also being eliminated in massive amounts by their number one predator — house cats.

"As far as habitat in Calgary for many of our local bird species, it just doesn't exist anymore or it's really degraded," said Barbara Kowalzik, a program advisor with The City of Calgary Parks Department at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Nature Centre.

"A good example is our wetlands. Over 98 per cent of our wetlands have been lost or degraded so that habitat just doesn't exist. Whatever the citizens of Calgary can do in their own yards to promote that local habitat, will really help."