Welcoming more small-scale homes and neighbours.

We all love Edmonton and want to live in a financially prosperous community that can support strong public services and provide housing choices for all ages, wages, and stages of life.

The neighbourhoods that were build forty years ago, are likely going to look different forty years from now, especially as our city rapidly approaches a population of two million.

Edmonton is being recognized all around the world as a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Our population is booming and we continue to attract more and more people every year. If we want to maintain our affordability advantage, we have to continue to build for the future.

Report after report shows the top issues Canadians are facing is the housing and affordability crisis. As Edmonton wrestles with decades of unsustainable urban sprawl, building in, not out, has become an imperative. While almost all of us would agree with those sentiments in general, when change comes to our local neighbourhood, our block, or the property next door, it can naturally be raw and emotional.

But we know cities change, our families change, and communities change. What is your next home going to be? Or your children’s? Where will you live when you can no longer traverse stairs?

Edmonton has been on an infill journey for decades to legalize more housing choices in more redeveloping areas to meet the changing needs of our population while improving the use of municipal infrastructure. A number of small tweaks, such as allowing row housing, laneway housing, or lot splitting can contribute significantly to more housing choices.

While one individual infill unit may not be affordable on its own, there are major benefits on a systemic level, especially when you factor in transportation time and cost savings from location efficiency. Adding more housing options in desirable locations can have an outsized affordability impact.

For a deeper dive into how infill improves the financial prosperity of your city, I encourage you to watch this video from the talk we hosted last year with Chuck Marohn from Strongtowns: Building a strong town.

I wrote about our housing challenges more broadly including public, co-ops, and non-market housing at https://www.michaeljanz.ca/housing If you have other questions, please reach out anytime at [email protected]

Here are a few of the frequently asked questions I receive about infill:

Infill housing refers to the development of vacant or underutilized land within existing urban areas, often in older neighborhoods. As cities grow and space becomes limited, this approach offers an alternative to unsustainable suburban sprawl. While infill housing presents significant opportunities, it also comes with challenges that merit careful consideration. (from the Greenfield Community Newsletter)

For too long Edmonton was either single family homes or multi-story apartments. By legalizing more “missing middle” housing choices, a greater variety of options are under construction.

In Edmonton, the Zoning Bylaw regulates land use and development standards but does not dictate the ownership structure of residential properties. This means that 6-plex or 8-plex units can be either purchased as condominiums or owned by a single entity and offered as rental units.

The decision between selling individual units and renting them out is determined by the property owner or developer, not by the Zoning Bylaw.

According to assessment and taxation data in Edmonton, it does not. Over the last ten years lots of infills have gone into many neighbourhoods, and even multi-unit, low, or mid-rise apartments have not lowered property values.

We are facing a climate crisis. To address it, we should increase the stock of multifamily housing in urban areas. Increasing urban density and adding housing will not only reduce our emissions, but allow us to address the cost of living crisis in our cities. Advocates for climate action and advocates for housing can and must work together to tackle these intertwined crises.

One of the largest sources of pollution and carbon emissions in Edmonton are automobile trips. The average Edmonton family household produced enough Co2 that it would require 986 trees to be planted every single year.

Infill housing is one of the best tools that cities and counties have to fight climate change. Building compact, walkable, and transit-oriented housing greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and prevents the low-density sprawl that destroys wild habitat. Denser multifamily is so environmentally effective that UC Berkeley's CoolClimate Network emphatically states that "infill housing is probably the single most impactful measure that cities could take to reduce emissions." Moreover, integrating high-performance design in these infill developments can further reduce both energy consumption and GHG emissions while improving comfort and health outcomes for residents.

To address both housing and the environment, we must change the way we use land and build housing.

Maximizes Land Use Efficiency: By repurposing existing spaces, infill housing ensures that urban land is utilized effectively, reducing the need for expansion into undeveloped areas.

Supports Sustainable Development: Building in established neighborhoods reduces the environmental impact associated with suburban sprawl, such as deforestation and increased carbon emissions from longer commutes.

Revitalizes Older Neighborhoods: Infill housing often brings new energy to aging communities. Fresh investments can lead to improved infrastructure, such as roads, parks, and public services.

Promotes Housing Diversity: Infill projects frequently introduce a mix of housing types; apartments, townhomes, and duplexes—that cater to varying demographics, including young families, professionals, and seniors.

Strengthens Local Economies: More residents in an area mean increased demand for local businesses, fostering economic growth and community vibrancy.

A fiscally prudent alternative to sprawl: When more neighbours can live in areas where we have already paid for infrastructure, we are better off financially and can preserve wetlands and farmlands. Learn more at: michaeljanz.ca/stopsprawl

The housing needs are as diverse as the city we live in. Sometimes the infill are new single family homes. Some infills have basement or micro-suites targeted towards students or renters. Some people still prefer apartments or high-rise buildings.

Ask yourself, what is your next home? At some point, all of us will move. It might be from our home to a bigger home, or a smaller home, or a seniors centre. Life comes at us fast: divorce, travel, twins, promotions or job loss, health changes. Not everyone needs or can afford the same thing.

Statistics Canada shows that the average household size in Edmonton is now 2.5. From the 2021 census, 29% of Edmonton’s households are single person households, 31% are two person households. Not all single or 2 person households want to live in a highrise, and sometimes they would prefer a ground-based option.

"Existing residents may oppose infill developments, fearing changes to the character of their community or increased traffic and noise.

Undertaking construction adjacent to existing properties is much harder and more time consuming and expensive to build than on an empty lot like suburban communities."

(Response pulled from the Greenfield Community League Newsletter)

The City of Edmonton is doing a lot more around builder compliance through the PIP and CAP programs (section to this Q&A coming soon)

Older neighborhoods often benefit from infill housing through revitalization and infrastructure upgrades. New developments can attract younger families and professionals, leading to a more dynamic, multi-generational community.

Property values in the area may rise, and public amenities, such as parks and schools, may receive updates due to increased demand. Moreover, thoughtful infill housing can help preserve a neighborhood’s historic charm by integrating modern designs that complement existing structures. Infill housing, when implemented with care and community input, serves as a bridge between preserving the character of older neighborhoods and meeting the needs of a growing urban population. (from the Greenfield Community Newsletter)

 

Infill could mean a lot of permutations depending on the zoning and the size of the lot. In some cases it could be a single, a duplex, a row house, or basement suites. For most lots, the maximum permitted could be 8 units per lot (except corner lots that could see more units), and any proposal greater than this would go to a public hearing. The limiting factor is the site coverage because of landscaping requirements, setbacks etc. The minimum site area per dwelling is 75m2.

The RS Zone allows for a variety of small scale residential development up to 3 storeys in height.
Housing types include:
- Single Detached Housing
- Semi-detached Housing
- Duplex Housing
- Row Housing
- Multi-unit Housing (small apartments)
- Secondary Suites
- Backyard Housing (formerly gardens suites
and garage suites)


The RS Zone does limit the number of dwelling units that can occur on a site.
- The minimum site area per dwelling is 75.0 m2; however
- The maximum number of dwellings on an interior site is 8.

For example, provided that a development meets all other zoning regulations (height, setbacks, site
coverage, etc.) a corner lot with a site area of 675 m2 could have up to 9 units. However, an interior lot
of the same size would be limited to 8 units.

Much like housing needs, parking needs are very diverse. Some families have two cars. Some have none. Many folks who are renters, students, or low-income may not have a personal vehicle. Even if an infill has a garage, no one is required to park in their garage, and they may choose to park on the street. Much like our own homes, some people park in the garage, some people park on the street. Some people park on a driveway.

Parking is expensive, and garages are expensive. Underground parking can be prohibitively expensive. Sometimes it feels like we spend more time discussing housing and storage for cars, rather than housing for people, which can undermine our work in trying to make housing more affordable. Sometimes parking, not housing, is the problem and it doesn’t make sense to constrain housing because of parking.

While parking has been flexible since 2020 (Read more about open option parking here) almost every single project I've seen has parking. Some have garages, some have parking pads. Remember, builders are competing for sales or renters, and there is a recognition that if you want to attract tenants or buyers who have a car, you need to accommodate for a car. Ultimately, a builder wants to make their project appealing to renters or to buyers. Despite flexible parking requirements for six years, the overwhelming number of projects built in Edmonton have parking.

At any given time, roughly 30% of the population can’t drive and vehicle registration according to the government of Alberta for the last five years has been around 700,000 vehicles for a city of 1.15 million. Even removing minors, there are still over a hundred thousand Edmontonians who do not have a vehicle.

Parking in Edmonton has been dramatically overbuilt compared to other urban centres and open-option parking is a way to help create more bedrooms for people rather than bedrooms for cars. Any home right now could have a family of five and five vehicles. It could be two duplexes and have two homes. I just heard about one single family home in a neighbourhood with 12 cars. These are problems we need to address, regardless of the infill conversation.

As it stands, curb side street parking, not owned by anyone: first come first served to the general public. Should this require permits in future?

The City of Edmonton has parking demand management programs that can be implemented if there is an excess demand for street parking. I've heard of other municipalities who have purchased lots and then turned them into parking if required.

Many neighbourhoods were built for more than double the amount of the population than currently lives in the neighbourhood. For example, a post-war built neighbourhood might have once seen 6 residents per home but now may have only one or two.

Utilities everywhere require regular maintenance and upgrading. Sometimes utilities were overbuilt and infill is important to bring population back before other problems emerge. Before any development proceeds, administration examines and takes into account all of the needs and pressures in an area. Numerous utility and waste studies have been performed by EPCOR and City administration. Learn more at: https://www.edmonton.ca/public-files/assets/document?path=FINAL_Drainage_Resource.pdf

EPCOR drainage was involved with the Zoning Bylaw Renewal and associated updates to the drainage design standards. Through that exercise, there were minimal concerns with allowing up to 8 dwellings in a RSF lot.

Low flush toilets and efficient appliances have reduced the demands for infrastructure. Fire capacity was overbuilt and these are being reviewed and right-sized.

One of the bigger problems emerging is that low density development doesn't have the population or the tax base to generate enough taxes to pay for the replacement of the aging infrastructure.

Recent research from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives suggests opponents of building more homes, and especially denser, lower-cost options like apartments, often wield the argument that their communities lack the infrastructure—from sewers to schools, power lines to hospitals—to service so many new residents. 

And while it’s true that decades of infrastructure underinvestment have left a backlog of needed upgrades and additions to support the region’s growing population, that shouldn’t be a reason to block new homes that can help address the housing shortage and resulting high home prices and rents. 

In fact, denser housing options like apartments cost far less per capita and per unit to support infrastructurally. But cities and towns that ban them can pass the infrastructure buck to the places where new homes are permitted—often in exurban sprawl where municipal coffers are smaller and infrastructure costs higher.

A collective approach across city limits, along with new local, regional, and federal funding programs, would help cities embrace the apartments they should legalize anyway while ensuring a strong infrastructure to support the entire urban fabric. (Read More: https://www.sightline.org/2025/01/15/worried-about-infrastructure-costs-then-end-the-apartment-ban/

Many of the mature neighbourhood schools are not full from the local catchment area and require students to be bused in, or a program of choice to support their viability. Infill can help bring more children into a neighbourhood, especially when there is a critical mass of new families. While some schools are experiencing overcrowding, usually that is due to the "open boundaries" demand or the "programs of choice" offered by the Edmonton Public School Board.

It is important to remember that communities undergo a sorting process, and while some new infills may not be family-friendly, the renters moving into them may be freeing up space in other homes that might be more conducive to a young family.

Learn more about Edmonton Public Schools at epsb.ca

Design for infills are very diverse. This is an area where I would like to see greater improvements. Similar to the way that many duplexes appear to be two units (same for triplexes or quadplexes), I think if they took more of a row-house characteristic, that would be more appealing to the community. I have a motion I will be putting forward at the January 24th, 2025 public hearing for debate to require an enhanced design standard.

One of the common designs I’m seeing is two attached duplexes (four units up, four basement suites) which are rapidly adding more affordably housing stock to mature neighbourhoods. Part of the rationale for allowing small-scale multi-family homes is to provide more housing choices as well as improve overall housing affordability by adding more housing supply to the market. These kinds of small 8 unit apartments are quite common in other areas of the city and do serve a need (singles, renters, seniors, students, couples, etc). We know the city is changing, and the housing choices need to keep pace.

Yes. Because infill does not require new infrastructure, it is a much more efficient way to use land and resources, which means more people with less space to service. I wrote about this at https://www.michaeljanz.ca/infill_tax_impact

Infill housing is fiscally responsible. Increasing density in established neighbourhoods means using existing public infrastructure, including water, storm and sanitary systems, mobility infrastructure, and electrical distribution.

Living closer to services or work can help you save money on transportation costs. Utilities also typically cost less in multi-family buildings.

I heard a story about a nanny choosing a basement suite so they could live to their host family. I heard another story about a student renting a suite. Sometimes a smaller unit in a great location can dramatically reduce transportation costs, but also help someone spend much less time commuting.

Transportation consumes a larger share of household budgets than housing for many North Americans, a decade of research shows, even as policymakers largely ignore this reality and its negative impacts on housing costs, public health, and climate change.

In a November report, the Smart Prosperity Institute’s PLACE Centre identified extremely high transportation costs as a significant barrier to housing affordability. On average, 17.2% of Canadian households’ “shelter-related” budget goes towards transportation (largely ownership and use of personal vehicles), exceeding the 16.5% cost for mortgages or rent.

Responding to a longitudinal study of lethal levels of ultrafine particulate air pollution in Toronto and Montreal published last August, experts urged measures to decrease the total number of cars on Ontario’s Highway 401 by building out public transit and bike lanes to better protect public health.

Sarah Buchanan, campaigns director at the Toronto Environmental Alliance, said whether policymakers are trying to ease the misery of commuters or protect public health, the “worst way to solve these problems is by adding more traffic, adding more cars.” (Read More: https://www.theenergymix.com/commuting-costs-families-more-than-housing-as-affordable-homes-drive-buyers-out-of-town/)

I have advocated for controls on short-term rentals and would like to see our neighbourhoods provide homes, not ghost hotels. I wrote about this at michaeljanz.ca/homenothotels

Residents can track the status of developments in their neighbourhood at maps.edmonton.ca. More information about the regulations for residential development, and what to expect during infill construction, is available online at Development in Your Neighbourhood.

In Edmonton, the notification process for development permit applications varies based on the type of development and its location.

For new principal buildings, substantial redevelopments, and demolitions in the RS Zone, the City requires applicants to post a Development Permit Notification Sign on the site within 14 days of the Development Permit's approval. This sign must remain in place until final occupancy is granted. The sign provides details about the project and includes contact information for the contractor, allowing nearby residents to stay informed and reach out with any concerns.

In addition, neighbours within a 60 m radius receive notification if a Development Permit for a Discretionary Use or a variance is approved. If a variance is approved, that means a change to one or more of the zoning regulations was required in order to approve the development.

The Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB) would not overturn a Development Planner’s decision if the proposed development was a Permitted Use and complies with all the regulations in the Zoning Bylaw.

If a Discretionary Use or a variance was approved (meaning one or more zoning regulations were varied to enable the development), notices would be sent to surrounding properties within 60 m of the site of the proposed development, along with the applicable Community League. Any person affected by the decision could file an appeal to the SDAB within 21 days after notice of the decision about the Development Permit was given.

The RS Zone enables limited Community Uses and Commercial Uses. The Community Service Use is a
“development for institutional, cultural, recreational, religious, spiritual, social, arts and educational activities that provide a service to the public and may involve people gathering at peak times and creating intermittent impacts such as noise and traffic.


Some examples of what could be allowed under this Use include community halls, community recreation
centres or Religious Assemblies.

However, there are limitations to the size and scale of this Use within the RS Zone. The Community
Services Use is limited to a maximum floor area of 1,000m2 and only allowed:
- on corner sites, next to a collector or arterial road;
- in an existing non-residential building; or
- on a site where the interior side lot line is next to a non-residential zone

Some exceptions apply to Child Care Services. For example, a Child Care Service is permitted on any
corner site where proposed in a building previously developed as a Single Detached House. However,
Child Care Services are limited to a maximum floor area 300 m2.


There are five commercial uses allowed in the RS Zone:
- Food and Drink Service
- Health Service
- Indoor Sales and Service
- Office
- Residential Sales Centre


These uses are only allowed if they are developed on a site that is next to a site in a non-residential zone that already allows commercial uses.

Additional regulations apply to these Uses to ensure that they do not create a nuisance to surrounding residential developments. These include:
- limiting the floor area to 300 m2 per
business;
- not permitting any outdoor business
activity, storage and outdoor speakers or
amplification systems; and
- limiting outdoor seating to a maximum area
of 20 m2 and being located only in the front
yard or flanking side yard (next to a side
street).


These uses, and their associated regulations, were included to allow for more businesses to thrive within Edmonton’s existing neighbourhoods. To allow for local nodes to expand and grow to serve the neighbourhood where people can meet their daily needs closer to home.

The City is developing a number of tools and resources to help address those areas of poor construction.  The majority of projects do tend to be well executed with a minority presenting some issues. The first step for reporting is always to document and connect with 311.

Centralized Office for Residential Development Complaints
Two new positions will be hired in 2025 to create a centralized office for residential development complaints. The team will receive, prioritize and coordinate complaints, inspection and responses. The centralized office is expected to create a consistent approach to residential development complaints. This Office will also modernize and update the dashboard.

Project Implementation Plan (PIP)
The PIP is a document that builders are required to submit when applying for construction permits in Edmonton to proactively plan for a safe construction site. It helps lay out an applicant's roles and responsibilities, requires an excavation strategy, encourages communication with neighbours and allows for enforcement mechanisms.

Construction Accountability Program (CAP)
The CAP is currently in development and is expected to be rolled out later in 2025. It will provide a data-driven mechanism for the City to track applicant outcomes and respond accordingly, up to and including the right to refuse to issue a permit to builders with too many infractions. It will also allow for conditions to be placed on any subsequent permits they receive to compel better building practices.
Compliance Reporting:
The compliance team generally follows a 4E model of escalation (engage, educate, encourage and enforce) when investigating and addressing complaints. This recognizes evolving tactics as customers move through the spectrum so that engagement and education through verbal warnings will be of a higher number than enforcement efforts. Within enforcement efforts, ticket issuance will be greater than orders issued, and so on. It also means frequent violators will be escalated quickly through the model.

As there is no 'right number' to achieve when it comes to enforcement outcomes, a decision was made a number of years ago to move away from an infill report focused on enforcement outcomes and instead develop a public-facing compliance dashboard. This dashboard aims to provide community members with the most current information.
Email:
Address: 1 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, 2nd Floor, Edmonton, AB T5J 2R7