Arcadis, a company specializing in sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy services, has been awarded a multi-year contract by the City of Calgary to support the management of municipal infrastructure through a digital platform.
The city will implement Enterprise Decision Analytics (EDA), an asset management software designed to provide oversight across a range of infrastructure systems. Calgary will be the first municipality in Canada to apply EDA across multiple asset types, including areas such as transportation, water and wastewater, emergency services, public parks, and civic buildings.
The decision to adopt EDA is part of Calgary’s strategy to address the challenges of maintaining aging infrastructure while aiming to manage costs and maintain service levels. Over the initial two-year term, the software is intended to help streamline asset management processes and support data-informed decision-making. EDA integrates data from various departments and uses analytics to prioritize repairs and guide investment planning. The platform is expected to support efforts to reduce service disruptions, improve infrastructure performance, and extend the lifespan of city assets.
The decision to adopt EDA is part of Calgary’s strategy to address the challenges of maintaining aging infrastructure while aiming to manage costs and maintain service levels
Commenting on the contract award, Edel Christie, Chief Growth Officer, Arcadis, said, “Through EDA, the City of Calgary can confidently make forward-thinking and data-backed decisions that optimize spending, extend the life of critical assets, and enhance the quality of life for its residents.” Christie added, “We look forward to playing a key role in supporting Calgary as it builds a more resilient and efficient future.”
The EDA platform is designed to address a broad set of asset management needs and can be tailored to different infrastructure portfolios. It has been used in other cities and sectors, including utilities and transportation systems. According to Arcadis, the platform provides several potential benefits, such as:
Predicting and preventing infrastructure failures (e.g., potholes, water main breaks)
Streamlining planning, reporting, and regulatory compliance
Enhancing investment accuracy across asset types
Supporting long-term sustainability and resilience planning
Improving resource use to potentially reduce the need for tax or rate increases
“After completing a comprehensive procurement process, the City of Calgary is excited to work with a world-class partner such as Arcadis to continually improve its asset management capabilities,” said Steve Wyton, Manager, Asset Management Planning at the City of Calgary.
The contract includes an initial two-year period with the possibility of being extended for up to 12 years. Over time, Calgary plans to transition from legacy systems to EDA as part of its broader modernization goals in asset management.
Arcadis reports that its EDA solution has been adopted by various organizations worldwide to manage complex infrastructure, with implementations in sectors such as water utilities in the UK and transportation networks in the US. Calgary’s implementation is expected to serve as an example of how Canadian cities might use digital tools in infrastructure planning and management.
