Vacant lot in Calgary’s East Village Hosts Pop-up Retail Experience

Community forms in the most unlikely places. All it takes is a critical mass of energy, a reason to visit, and “sticky spaces” to make people stay. Downtown Calgary is in the throes of a thoughtful and exciting re-gentrification. East Village Junction, a happening pop-up shipping container hub on an odd-shaped vacant lot on the southwest corner of 4th St and 8th Ave SE is part outdoor retail hive, part event space, and really big part community gathering spot. Each container shop is fitted out with a glass storefront and fully customized inside and out, making each stop a unique shopping experience.

This well-conceived, and even better executed junction where fun meets function, shipping meets shopping, and containers meet culture launched in early June. The “site plan” for this space is as thoughtful and "on purpose" as many capital-intensive parks in some of the best planned communities. Complete with a stage for performances by local artists, fronted by open seating, and a casual common area beneath strings of twinkly lights, the open-air public space makes no apologies.

Loud and proud colors act as a beacon, drawing foot traffic from the East Village Discovery Center across the street, where $500-800k condos are being sold at a pace comparable to major US urban centers. We visited when it was closed on a Monday, and still people were gathering, some charging cell phones at the free power stations, others enjoying a coffee and a sunny day. East Village Junction is more like a friendly neighborhood square, and an amenity, than a mere shopping experience. Retail tenants take turns hosting workshops in the common area. Regular musical events and a myriad of other artistic performances keep the East Village Junction stage moving in rhythm, and food trucks feed the crowds.

In the community development, place making and experience design world, a lot of ideas like this are killed on the boards. This one made it out alive – and it’s worth a look.