How Much Greener Is Calgary in 2025?

Ever wonder how Calgary’s trees and lawns reacted to the rainy summer of 2025 compared to the 2024 drought? Instead of just guessing, I ran the numbers. I analyzed over 8.5 million Sentinel-2 satellite data points to calculate the exact vegetation index (NDVI) for the entire city.

Here is the big picture of Calgary’s green space in the summer of 2025:

But the real story is in the dynamics. Where was the biggest growth? On the map below (ΔNDVI), green areas highlight a massive jump in vegetation, while red shows areas that actually no changed or lost green space.

Surprised by who grew the most? The data reveals a clear trend. Older, established communities (like Roxboro and Queens Park Village) saw the biggest boost, thanks to the deep root systems of mature trees. Unsurprisingly, the concrete-heavy and actively developing city edges lost ground. Here are the top 5 “greened-up” and the bottom 5 “lagging” communities in Calgary:

How Did Your Neighborhood Do? I put together an interactive table for all residential communities. You can look up your neighborhood to see its average greenness scores for 2024 and 2025, and check the net growth (Delta). Click the column headers to sort the data and see who came out on top!

Community	NDVI 2024	NDVI 2025	Δ NDVI
TWINHILLS	0.37	0.5	0.13
QUEENS PARK VILLAGE	0.26	0.48	0.21
ROXBORO	0.25	0.47	0.22
SHAGANAPPI	0.28	0.47	0.19
RIDEAU PARK	0.24	0.44	0.2
WILDWOOD	0.25	0.44	0.2
WINDSOR PARK	0.26	0.43	0.17
WINSTON HEIGHTS/MOUNTVIEW	0.26	0.43	0.17
COLLINGWOOD	0.23	0.42	0.18
DISCOVERY RIDGE	0.25	0.41	0.17
VALLEY RIDGE	0.25	0.41	0.16
WOODLANDS	0.26	0.41	0.16
ELBOW PARK	0.22	0.4	0.18
MEDICINE HILL	0.24	0.4	0.16
UPPER MOUNT ROYAL	0.23	0.4	0.18
AMBLERIDGE	0.31	0.38	0.07
COUNTRY HILLS	0.25	0.38	0.13
CRESTMONT	0.25	0.38	0.13
MAPLE RIDGE	0.24	0.38	0.14
PATTERSON	0.23	0.38	0.15
SCARBORO	0.21	0.38	0.17
SPRUCE CLIFF	0.22	0.38	0.16
BEL-AIRE	0.21	0.37	0.16
CHARLESWOOD	0.21	0.37	0.16
COUGAR RIDGE	0.22	0.37	0.15
INGLEWOOD	0.21	0.37	0.16
ROSEDALE	0.21	0.37	0.17
CHAPARRAL	0.23	0.36	0.13
DIAMOND COVE	0.21	0.36	0.15
HAMPTONS	0.22	0.36	0.14
HIGHWOOD	0.2	0.36	0.15
BRITANNIA	0.2	0.35	0.14
DEER RUN	0.2	0.35	0.14
EDGEMONT	0.21	0.35	0.14
ERLTON	0.19	0.35	0.16
GLENDALE	0.2	0.35	0.15
HIGHLAND PARK	0.2	0.35	0.16
MAYFAIR	0.2	0.35	0.15
OAKRIDGE	0.2	0.35	0.14
OGDEN	0.2	0.35	0.15
PARKHILL	0.2	0.35	0.15
PARKLAND	0.21	0.35	0.14
PUMP HILL	0.2	0.35	0.15
RENFREW	0.2	0.35	0.14
SPRINGBANK HILL	0.21	0.35	0.14
VARSITY	0.21	0.35	0.14
HIDDEN VALLEY	0.21	0.34	0.12
LEGACY	0.22	0.34	0.13
MOUNT PLEASANT	0.19	0.34	0.15
SOUTHVIEW	0.21	0.34	0.13
STRATHCONA PARK	0.2	0.34	0.14
WILLOW PARK	0.21	0.34	0.14
ALTADORE	0.19	0.33	0.13
BELVEDERE	0.24	0.33	0.09
BONAVISTA DOWNS	0.2	0.33	0.14
BOWNESS	0.2	0.33	0.14
CAMBRIAN HEIGHTS	0.19	0.33	0.14
CHRISTIE PARK	0.19	0.33	0.14
CRANSTON	0.2	0.33	0.13
ELBOYA	0.19	0.33	0.14
SILVER SPRINGS	0.2	0.33	0.13
THORNCLIFFE	0.2	0.33	0.14
TUSCANY	0.21	0.33	0.12
ASPEN WOODS	0.19	0.32	0.14
BAYVIEW	0.18	0.32	0.14
BELMONT	0.2	0.32	0.11
CANYON MEADOWS	0.19	0.32	0.12
CAPITOL HILL	0.18	0.32	0.14
CHINOOK PARK	0.18	0.32	0.14
DEER RIDGE	0.19	0.32	0.13
DOUGLASDALE/GLEN	0.19	0.32	0.13
LAKEVIEW	0.19	0.32	0.13
MCKENZIE LAKE	0.19	0.32	0.13
QUEENSLAND	0.19	0.32	0.13
RANCHLANDS	0.18	0.32	0.14
ROSEMONT	0.18	0.32	0.14
VISTA HEIGHTS	0.2	0.32	0.12
WOODBINE	0.19	0.32	0.12
ABBEYDALE	0.19	0.31	0.12
BRAESIDE	0.19	0.31	0.12
CEDARBRAE	0.19	0.31	0.12
COACH HILL	0.18	0.31	0.12
DALHOUSIE	0.18	0.31	0.13
DOVER	0.19	0.31	0.13
HAWKWOOD	0.18	0.31	0.13
KINCORA	0.2	0.31	0.11
MACEWAN GLEN	0.19	0.31	0.12
NORTH HAVEN	0.18	0.31	0.12
RED CARPET	0.19	0.31	0.12
RICARDO RANCH	0.26	0.31	0.05
ROCKY RIDGE	0.19	0.31	0.12
ROYAL OAK	0.19	0.31	0.12
SCARBORO/SUNALTA WEST	0.18	0.31	0.13
SILVERADO	0.21	0.31	0.1
SOMERSET	0.19	0.31	0.12
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS	0.18	0.31	0.13
BRIDLEWOOD	0.19	0.3	0.1
CITADEL	0.17	0.3	0.13
CRESCENT HEIGHTS	0.17	0.3	0.13
EAGLE RIDGE	0.18	0.3	0.13
EAU CLAIRE	0.16	0.3	0.14
FAIRVIEW	0.18	0.3	0.13
FOREST HEIGHTS	0.18	0.3	0.12
GREENVIEW	0.17	0.3	0.13
HUNTINGTON HILLS	0.18	0.3	0.12
MIDNAPORE	0.18	0.3	0.12
MONTEREY PARK	0.18	0.3	0.11
NORTH GLENMORE PARK	0.18	0.3	0.12
NORTH HAVEN UPPER	0.18	0.3	0.12
PALLISER	0.18	0.3	0.12
PANORAMA HILLS	0.19	0.3	0.11
RAMSAY	0.17	0.3	0.14
RIVERBEND	0.17	0.3	0.13
RUTLAND PARK	0.18	0.3	0.12
SCENIC ACRES	0.18	0.3	0.11
SUNDANCE	0.18	0.3	0.12
WESTGATE	0.17	0.3	0.13
ACADIA	0.18	0.29	0.12
BEDDINGTON HEIGHTS	0.17	0.29	0.12
CORAL SPRINGS	0.18	0.29	0.11
FALCONRIDGE	0.17	0.29	0.12
GARRISON WOODS	0.16	0.29	0.12
GLENBROOK	0.17	0.29	0.12
HOUNSFIELD HEIGHTS/BRIAR HILL	0.17	0.29	0.12
KELVIN GROVE	0.17	0.29	0.12
LAKE BONAVISTA	0.17	0.29	0.12
MAYLAND HEIGHTS	0.18	0.29	0.12
PINERIDGE	0.17	0.29	0.11
POINT MCKAY	0.17	0.29	0.13
RICHMOND	0.17	0.29	0.12
SANDSTONE VALLEY	0.18	0.29	0.11
WEST SPRINGS	0.18	0.29	0.11
WHITEHORN	0.17	0.29	0.12
YORKVILLE	0.25	0.29	0.04
APPLEWOOD PARK	0.17	0.28	0.11
BANFF TRAIL	0.16	0.28	0.12
BRENTWOOD	0.17	0.28	0.11
CASTLERIDGE	0.17	0.28	0.11
CLIFF BUNGALOW	0.16	0.28	0.13
COPPERFIELD	0.18	0.28	0.11
EVERGREEN	0.17	0.28	0.11
FOREST LAWN	0.17	0.28	0.11
GLAMORGAN	0.17	0.28	0.12
HASKAYNE	0.21	0.28	0.07
HAYSBORO	0.17	0.28	0.11
KILLARNEY/GLENGARRY	0.16	0.28	0.12
LEWISBURG	0.23	0.28	0.05
MILLRISE	0.17	0.28	0.1
OSPREY HILL	0.2	0.28	0.08
SIGNAL HILL	0.17	0.28	0.11
ST. ANDREWS HEIGHTS	0.18	0.28	0.11
TEMPLE	0.17	0.28	0.11
TUXEDO PARK	0.16	0.28	0.12
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY	0.17	0.28	0.11
BANKVIEW	0.15	0.27	0.12
COVENTRY HILLS	0.17	0.27	0.1
ERIN WOODS	0.16	0.27	0.11
HARVEST HILLS	0.16	0.27	0.11
MARLBOROUGH PARK	0.17	0.27	0.1
MCKENZIE TOWNE	0.16	0.27	0.12
MONTGOMERY	0.16	0.27	0.1
PENBROOKE MEADOWS	0.17	0.27	0.11
RUNDLE	0.16	0.27	0.11
SUNNYSIDE	0.16	0.27	0.11
WALDEN	0.16	0.27	0.11
ALBERT PARK/RADISSON HEIGHTS	0.16	0.26	0.1
BRIDGELAND/RIVERSIDE	0.15	0.26	0.11
GARRISON GREEN	0.15	0.26	0.11
HILLHURST	0.15	0.26	0.11
HUXLEY	0.24	0.26	0.02
KEYSTONE HILLS	0.18	0.26	0.08
KINGSLAND	0.15	0.26	0.11
MARLBOROUGH	0.15	0.26	0.1
NEW BRIGHTON	0.15	0.26	0.11
SHAWNEE SLOPES	0.17	0.26	0.1
SOUTHWOOD	0.16	0.26	0.1
WEST HILLHURST	0.15	0.26	0.1
ARBOUR LAKE	0.15	0.25	0.11
AUBURN BAY	0.15	0.25	0.1
CORNERSTONE	0.18	0.25	0.07
GLACIER RIDGE	0.21	0.25	0.04
GREENWOOD/GREENBRIAR	0.16	0.25	0.09
HOTCHKISS	0.18	0.25	0.07
LINCOLN PARK	0.15	0.25	0.09
MARTINDALE	0.15	0.25	0.1
NOLAN HILL	0.16	0.25	0.09
PARKDALE	0.15	0.25	0.1
SHAWNESSY	0.16	0.25	0.09
SHERWOOD	0.16	0.25	0.09
SOUTH CALGARY	0.15	0.25	0.1
TARADALE	0.15	0.25	0.1
WOLF WILLOW	0.16	0.25	0.09
EVANSTON	0.16	0.24	0.09
RANGEVIEW	0.23	0.24	0.02
SAGE HILL	0.16	0.24	0.08
HOMESTEAD	0.15	0.23	0.07
ROSSCARROCK	0.14	0.23	0.09
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT	0.15	0.23	0.07
ALPINE PARK	0.22	0.22	0
CITYSCAPE	0.14	0.22	0.07
SADDLE RIDGE	0.14	0.22	0.08
SKYVIEW RANCH	0.13	0.22	0.09
CARRINGTON	0.16	0.21	0.05
CHINATOWN	0.12	0.21	0.09
CURRIE BARRACKS	0.14	0.21	0.08
MEADOWLARK PARK	0.12	0.21	0.08
MISSION	0.12	0.21	0.1
MORAINE	0.22	0.21	-0.01
PINE CREEK	0.16	0.21	0.05
REDSTONE	0.13	0.21	0.08
SUNALTA	0.13	0.21	0.08
COUNTRY HILLS VILLAGE	0.13	0.2	0.07
MAHOGANY	0.13	0.2	0.07
DOWNTOWN EAST VILLAGE	0.11	0.19	0.08
SYMONS VALLEY RANCH	0.17	0.19	0.02
LIVINGSTON	0.17	0.18	0.01
SETON	0.14	0.18	0.04
LOWER MOUNT ROYAL	0.1	0.17	0.07
DOWNTOWN WEST END	0.1	0.14	0.05
MANCHESTER	0.08	0.13	0.05
BELTLINE	0.07	0.11	0.04
DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL CORE	0.04	0.05	0.02

For a much closer look at your local parks and streets, you can explore my published community atlases, where each neighborhood has its own dedicated page The Greenness of Calgary: A Community-Level Atlas (2025). Contrast Color Edition

Below is an example featuring one of Calgary’s communities (Nose Hill Park). You can see exactly what the atlas pages look like and the level of detail they provide:

For the NDVI assessment, Sentinel-2 satellite data was used. The boundaries of Calgary communities were obtained from the city’s open data portal at Community Boundaries | Open Calgary. Data processing and analysis were conducted using the R programming language, leveraging the terra and tidyverse packages. Final map visualizations were created using QGIS. Text translation and grammatical review were supported by Google Gemini AI.