Jenna Dutton and her fiancé have called the city centre community of Ramsay home for the past two years. Prior to that, Dutton lived in next-door Inglewood.

"I'm drawn to the area because of the local shops, the heritage buildings, the diversity, the cool music scene and that everything is within walking distance," said Dutton.

In other words, Dutton is drawn to the urban lifestyle. It's a way of life characterized by walkability, community diversity and proximity of amenities, something she was exposed to while living in Montreal.

Humming with an eclectic, urban vibe, Calgary's inner-city community of Connaught attracts a variety of residents, from millennials to empty nesters. The community brims with multi-family housing, tree-lined parks, community vegetable gardens, purpose-built dog playgrounds, and a variety of unique restaurant and retail offerings. As an added bonus, many of these businesses, such as Kalamata Grocery and Analog Coffee, are spearheaded by local entrepreneurs.

"There is just this huge appeal – there are the parks and the trees and you are also in the thick of it. It's a real community where there is something for everyone," said Connaught resident Patricia Insole.

Even though it is chock-full of cutting-edge design and brimming with bells and whistles, that's not what's drawing buyers towards Westman Village, a new neighbourhood within the award-winning community of Mahogany. Instead, it's the lifestyle, including convenience, walkability, access to Calgary's largest man-made lake, and loads of downtown-style amenities.

"What really sets the development apart are the amenities and the self-contained structure of Westman Village," said Jay Westman, chairman and CEO of Jayman Built, the developer and builder behind the project. "The only thing that we don't have is a gas station."

The year is 1960. Calgary's population sits at 234,428. Completion of the Trans-Canada Highway is still two years away. A new $1-million terminal at McCall Field welcomes airline passengers, with the first non-stop, transatlantic flight from Calgary to Amsterdam still a year away. The first two buildings on the new University of Calgary campus open and the newly minted community of Brentwood sits on the very edge of the city.

How times have changed.

The communities of Upper and Lower Mount Royal have long been home to an eclectic mix of everything Calgary's real estate scene has to offer.

The planning and development of liveable, vibrant neighbourhoods has gained in popularity over the past few decades to increase physical activity, prevent chronic diseases, and promote health and well-being among community residents.

However, there are mixed opinions among homebuyers and sellers, real estate professionals, and community developers about what features contribute to a livable, vibrant and healthy neighbourhood.

Experts tout prevalence in today's homebuying decisions

Walkability has evolved from a buzzword to an influential part of home purchasing decisions in Calgary, say real estate experts.

And to meet growing demand for improved accessibility, developers and planners need to start now by designing communities of tomorrow through a more pedestrian-friendly lens.

"(Walkability) is important to our customers," said Brookfield Residential development manager Tara Steell. "We're hearing from them and using best practices to create communities with master-planned communities. We have the ability to influence that and try to get people out of their cars."

Inner-city communities offering residents plenty to get excited about

From the historic streets of Inglewood to the shopping district along 17th Avenue, Calgary's inner city represents an eclectic and ever-changing mix of stories, style and substance. After all, these are areas where 100-year-old brick buildings seamlessly interchange with high-rise construction cranes.

Yet for those who live in Calgary`s inner city, it isn't just their surroundings and amenities that make it special. It's the people.

"Sure we have our night markets, Christmas celebrations and kitschy shops, but what makes Ramsay and Inglewood an exceptional place to live are the people," said local resident Natalia Jezierska.

New southwest community by Mattamy to house up to 12,000 people

Come spring, the landscape of Calgary's deep southwest will be undergoing another change, this one being sculpted by Mattamy Homes.

With the snow gone, grading and storm pond construction is expected to get started on the new community of Yorkville, located over more than 190 hectares along the southern boundary of Silverado and moving further south and west.

University District touted as 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'

It is the urban employment hub of northwest Calgary. And now, with a projected influx of 6,000 new residences over the next 15 years, the new University District community is slated to become the quadrant's residential core.

The first two housing developments just launched in the District — Ivy by Brookfield Residential and Noble by Truman Homes — will be uniquely positioned in the 81-hectare project between two hospitals (Foothills Medical Centre and Alberta Children's Hospital) and the University of Calgary, for potential buyers.