The Plus 15 or +15 Skyway network in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the world’s most extensive pedestrian skywalk system with a total length of 16 kilometers (10 mi) and 59 bridges. The system is so named because the skywalks are approximately 15 feet (approximately 4.5 metres) above street level. (Some Plus 15 skywalks are multi-level, with higher levels being referred to as +30’s and +45’s.)
Opening in 1970, the +15 network has expanded to include dozens of downtown Calgary buildings. The central core of the system is a series of enclosed shopping centers, and the city’s flagship department stores. Although there are currently no plans to remove bridges or to discontinue building new ones, the system has been subject to criticism in recent years. It has been identified with a decline in street life in the Downtown Commercial Core. Street life is instead concentrated on streets (such as Stephen Avenue) or in neighbourhoods where there are no bridges (such as Eau Claire and the Beltline).
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