Navigating Housing Growth: Infills, Zoning Challenges, and Moratoriums

By now, many will have heard about the Zoning Bylaw Renewal (ZBR) public hearings, the failed motion to decrease mid-block multi unit developments from 8 to 6 units, and also, the much maligned “moratorium” on infill development.  I won’t rehash what has been discussed by others, but I do want to add the perspectives our team has heard around ward pihêsiwin. 

Where a person chooses to live is perhaps one of the most important decisions they will make - such decisions impact daily life on a massive scale, from time and effort spent commuting, the method and mode of that transportation, the schools and amenities in the nearby neighborhood, and even how you spend time in your own home (for your home and yard certainly vary based on what neighbourhood you live in). It is no wonder that Edmontonians don’t want their homes and neighbourhoods changed - it is the rare street parking, school yard, or rush-hour commute that is under capacity, and we’ve heard much about the steady and consistent growth of Edmonton’s population.  “Alberta Is Calling” (link here) has clearly worked, and Edmonton has seen significant growth to the tune of 65,000 new residents in 2024, or, a 5.76% increase in our total population.  

Those people need to live somewhere, and where they end up living will continue to impact Edmonton on a daily basis.  In ward pihêsiwin, we currently have the luxury of not being impacted by multi-unit infills. Even in the mature neighborhoods of the ward (such as areas in Brander Gardens, Brookside, and Bulyea), property values and the age and condition of homes, as well as the relatively distant commute to downtown and the inner city, preclude development of multi-unit infills.  In this more distal part of the city from our downtown, we will have the benefit of experience for when the ZBR starts to impact the communities in SW Edmonton.  

In the meantime, we absolutely should be supporting housing options in established, mature neighbourhoods.  There are real and practical concerns raised by many across the city, and in turn, City administration and council have put forward recommendations to incrementally improve zoning bylaws - these being updated regulations on setbacks, front-facing entrances, and (a failed) motion from council to reduce mid-block units from 8 to 6.  We can do better still - we can add in protections for mature trees, set up a system of amenity contributions from infill developers (along the lines of the current City guidebook, but perhaps managed in trust by the local community leagues), and improved local consultation so that developments match the character and integrity of existing neighbourhoods. 

What we absolutely CANNOT do is stymie the development of new housing. It is perhaps fortunate that the much ballyhooed “moratorium” turned out to be illegal, but that it was even a proposed alternative was tone-deaf to the needs of Edmontonians.  What we’ve heard at the doors louder than any discussions about zoning and infills are concerns about community safety (especially on transit), traffic congestion, and property taxes.  And stopping housing development makes all those things worse.   

Traffic: If people can live near their place of work (or study, or play), that takes cars off the road.  Better still if they are close enough to walk, bike, or use other forms of mobility.  This has everything to do with proximity of housing to businesses, or in the case of many mature neighbourhoods, proximity to downtown. 

Transit Safety: We’ve seen that the overwhelming majority of current multi-unit infills are within 2km of an LRT stop.  The more people that ride that LRT, the safer it becomes (and again, the more cars off the road).  

Property Taxes: Urban sprawl, in addition to contributing to traffic congestion, is also hugely costly. As a suburbanite myself, as are many in ward pihêsiwin, I get the appeal of a detached home and relatively spacious streets and yards. This is the appeal of urban sprawl, however, it comes with a significant cost to all Edmontonians. Additional suburbs very much need to remain a housing option for those who opt for that life, however, for practical reasons, it cannot be the sole outlet for the immense growth Edmonton is facing.  

Affordability: There is positive news that rental rates in Edmonton are easing. That said, the average rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Edmonton is at an all-time high of $1536/month, and that growth has been mediated by an increasing supply and vacancy.  Available housing supply must meet growth trajectory, and lower-cost multi-unit infills provide a path to home ownership and subsequent turnover of rental units that trickles all the way throughout the housing market.  

It has been amazing to see the passion and engagement on all sides of this zoning debate. These past weeks at council have been ample proof that many truths can exist concurrently, and not everybody will find consensus in all things. There are real and practical concerns in the densification of mature neighbourhoods, and also real and practical concerns in being a city that is not prepared for growth.  The current situation feels somewhat like a stalemate, and this will be a critical and milestone issue for the new council to tackle in the years to come.