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<\/p>\nIf you\u2019ve ever wondered what Calgary looks like through an outside lens, a German YouTuber just gave the city a review.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The video titled \u201cHow did Calgary grow so insanely big?\u201d comes from German content creator Imperatur. His videos, which have amassed over 124 million views combined, feature different cities from around the world.<\/p>\n
He notes Calgary as a city that \u201cmakes no sense at all,\u201d because most major cities in North America, like New York and Toronto, are close to the water, and while Calgary has the Bow and Elbow Rivers, \u201cneither is deep enough for a cargo ship or commercial transport.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then raises a question: \u201cWhy did a city of 1.6 million people grow here, in the middle of what was once considered a remote wilderness?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Imperatur says that while Calgary might seem to be in the middle of nowhere, its location actually has a strategic geography that shaped the city in its early days. He delves into Calgary\u2019s history and the \u201ccatalyst\u201d for the city, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause CPR owned the land, they dictated exactly how the city would function. They laid out a rigid, efficient grid that ignored the winding river banks and placed the tracks directly through the centre of the townside,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Imperature also talks about Calgary\u2019s weather and the creation of the city\u2019s Plus 15 network. \u201cBecause the surrounding prairie offers no natural barriers to wind or extreme cold, the city had to innovate to keep its dense core functional year-round.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Jeff Whyte\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Spanning 16 kilometres and connecting more than 130 buildings, \u201cThis infrastructure transformed the downtown into a two-storey city\u2026 It allows Calgary to maintain a vertical dense urban centre even when the temperature outside drops far below freezing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He then goes on to talk about Calgary\u2019s industrial sectors. \u201cThe city\u2019s true footprint is defined by industry. Because Calgary has no ocean access, it had to become an inland port.\u201d He mentioned the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) as a \u201cgiant sorting machine\u201d for the region\u2019s goods, like grain and fuel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He also noted that Calgary is the headquarters for nearly all of Canada\u2019s major oil and gas companies, engineering and pipeline firms that support them, and more growing industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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LisaBourgeault\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
\u201cHuge distribution centres for companies like Amazon and Walmart have appeared.. Utilizing the city\u2019s position as an economic gateway.\u201d Imperatur then makes note that a city built to support trains and big trucks \u201cpaved a way for a city built almost entirely for the automobile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following typical North American design, older, inner-city neighbourhoods are designed in a grid pattern, while newer communities feature winding roads and cul-de-sacs. While they are intended to keep residential streets quiet, it can make it quite difficult to travel on foot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis car-dependent layout has created a very specific urban experience. The infrastructure prioritizes flow and car efficiency over local walkability\u2026 This design choice made Calgary a logistical powerhouse, but it also made a car a mandatory tool for survival.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Jeff Whyte\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
For this reason, he calls Calgary a \u201ccity of extremes,\u201d noting that Calgarians\u2019 daily lives are often split into two different worlds: either near towering skyscrapers and the Plus 15 network or long commutes across the city because it\u2019s so spread out.<\/p>\n
He mentions the CTrain as \u201ca cute light rail system,\u201d but also notes the fact that it only has two lines is \u201cmindboggling.\u201d<\/p>\n