A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
It's to be expected that a lot of Edmonton residents are less than thrilled with this change, but the City has a vision for a denser, more compact city with more affordable housing options and small business opportunities. Although the experts are split on whether this zoning change will actually make housing more affordable without more fail-safes in place, the mayor of Edmonton has a positive outlook.
This bylaw supports affordability. It makes it easier for affordable housing developers and seniors housing developers to build housing our community needs by reducing unnecessary red tape," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said during the meeting Monday. "It provides the opportunity for Edmontonians to attain different housing types for their needs across the city."
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CALGARY?
Since Edmonton and Calgary are similar cities, Edmonton passing their zoning changes does make it more likely that Calgary's similar proposed changes will pass as well. On the docket right now in Calgary right now is a blanket rezoning of all residential zones to a minimum of R-CG, which still allows for single-family houses but also other housing types, including rowhouses, with or without suites. With more than 60% of Calgary's residential properties currently zoned for single-family homes only, this would make for a pretty big change to our residential areas as we know them. The city council still has to deliberate and receive public feedback before any decisions are made, although most real estate experts do expect the zoning revision to pass. Public hearings are expected to occur in Q1 or Q2 of 2024.
More to come as information becomes available!
Read more about zones in our blog, R-C2 vs R-CG vs H-GO Zoning: What's the Difference?