If you have looked at a Calgary house for sale in the past few years, you probably know that rapid growth is a major concern for many Calgary residents. The city has attracted some big money over the last half decade, and the result has been a massive building boom. Many an Edmonton real estate agent has envied the quick fortunes reaped by counterparts in the city of Calgary.

However, Calgary's boom has not come without its problems. First of course is the issue of urban sprawl. Much of the arable land surrounding Calgary has been developed in property familiar to those who have real estate in East York. Condos touch the skyline, town houses stretch out towards the mountains, and there is very little land left.

In addition, Calgary's growth has impacted sales prices of property within the city. At first the real estate market was the very definition of a boom, as development could not keep pace with demand. It wasn't long before the average Calgary home was worth much more than any North York property for sale, despite Toronto's bigger size and diversified economy.

Those days have passed however, and many developers in Calgary are concerned with the falling prices in the real estate market in that city. Not just developers, but individual property owners, have seen losses over the last two years as the price of oil (on which the local economy is based) has gone up and down. In fact, Calgary and Acton homes are now around the same level, much to the dismay of recent Calgary real estate purchasers.

In order to help Calgary avoid major development blunders, the Urban Development Institute of Calgary has been developed. It sounds as though it might be a center of higher education, but in fact UDI is a group of people and businesses which have come together through a mutual concern over Calgary's real estate market place.

The group includes a large range of developers and construction experts within the city of Calgary. The mission of the Urban Development Institute is to represent the industry in sustainable growth through a partnership with all stakeholders, including both the public and government. As such, they monitor legislative decisions at all government levels which have an impact on growth in Calgary, offer upgrades to industry expertise, and undertake many other initiatives.

There was a time when homes for sale in Vaughan were listed at twice the price of a Calgary home, but those times have past. Through UDI, citizens and industries in Calgary can be assured that sustainable development will mean property in the city maintains its value for years to come.