Town of Banff

Mountain Town

Banff's is undeniably a "mountain town", but what effect do hillside environments have on the Town of Banff? Steep hillside environments can be expensive to build on, difficult to service with utilities, while building roads on steep slopes can result in visual scarring. Steep hillside environments also have a significant effect on wildlife movement, with large mammals and ungulates tending to move along the bottom portions of steep hillsides.

Banff townsite is fortunate to have the majority of its townsite located on a relatively flat valley floor. These flat building sites adjacent to Banff Avenue can accomodate larger building floor-plates more easily than the sloped sites to the south and east of the Town. Indeed, the highest densities in the Town are found on the flat areas around downtown.