The city of Calgary, the large oil-boom city in Alberta province in western Canada, a few years ago adopted a “Centre City Plan” to guide the development of its core urban area to ensure that it will be livable and thriving and a magnet for the arts, recreation, business, dwellers, and tourism. All to the good, but something is missing: attention to the faith dimension and religious institutions.

That was the observation of Cardus, the Canadian Christian think tank that pays special attention to “social architecture” (full disclosure: your editor is a Cardus senior fellow). So Cardus conducted a research project to probe the extent and roles of houses of worship and faith-based service organizations in central Calgary. According to that research, both the churches and the parachurches play a vital role in urban life: spaces to meet, spiritual nurture, a wide range of social services, providing volunteers and cultivating volunteerism, promoting civic engagement and an attitude of care for neighbors, and more.

But without careful attention to this vital dimension of Calgary’s urban life, the new developments contemplated by the city’s planning document–the new residents, new arts and entertainment venues, new shopping and office facilities, etc.–might well squeeze out and undermine this faith infrastructure.

Calgary city planners and officials have been receptive to the research and the message and have taken a series of actions to give new attention to the roles and importance of current religious institutions and to ensure that the planned development of the core of the city gives adequate space to worship institutions and faith-based community-serving initiatives.

Canada increasingly fancies itself a post-Christian, even post-religious, nation. In truth, religion is far from merely a memory in the lives of individuals and in the bustle and development of urban places.

Read More: Calgary City Soul, Phase Two Final Report.