The explosive growth of Calgary, Canada in the early 20th century prompted a need to put some serious thought into long-term city planning. In 1912, British Landscape Architect Thomas Mawson was commissioned by the city to prepare a development plan to address the rapid growth of the city. Mawson's proposal was an ambitious plan on par with Haussmann's rebuilding of Paris during the reign of Napoleon III. He insisted on a grand scheme that was to reform the city, deal with increasing congestion, and accommodate the emerging automobile. After a century of successful growth, the Calgary of 2005 is a city of nearly a million inhabitants. As the city faces the challenges of the 21st century, Mawson's plan remains an enduring legacy to the ambitions of an early Canadian prairie town.