25% of new housing built in Edmonton since 2010 are infill homes located in Edmonton’s core and mature areas, reaching a goal set by the city when it established its infill roadmap. This change has been complimented by amending zoning rules over the past few years, eliminating single-family-only-zoning and minimum parking requirements, as well as zoning for urban heat islands. This has enabled a diversity of housing options in its mature neighbourhoods, such as duplexes, row housing, garden suites, and basement suites.
On the other hand, we have the province of Ontario that has just made sweeping changes to its Conservation Authorities Act to facilitate development on the lands now under conservation. The Premier says this is to create more affordable housing, a spurious argument if you consider Edmonton’s innovations above. The loss of biodiversity and the library of nature-based solutions will be incalculable in the province.
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