Edmonton city council set to wrap discussion on limiting infill

Edmonton city council is set to wrap the discussion on infill in Edmonton’s older neighbourhoods on Tuesday. Advocates for more density tell CityNews that building more housing options directly benefits Edmonton’s public transit.

“Most of Edmonton is completely unaffected by this debate, and so when we look at where these seven and eight-plexes are being built, it’s around these transit-rich neighbourhoods, which have declined in population over the last 50 years, that are the most desirable in Edmonton,” said Jacob Dewang, with Grow Together Edmonton.

Dewang spoke to city council in favour of more housing density, as the discussion around infill, and how many units can be built, continues at City Hall.

Using building permit data from the city, he says over 90 per cent of multi-unit houses being built are within two kilometres of a transit station or LRT.

Starting last week and being extended until Tuesday, council has heard from those for and against more infill housing in their neighbourhood, as councillors grapple with a potential cap on how many units can be built on one site.

Rob Smyth with Edmonton Neighbourhoods United, who feels Edmonton moved too quickly with blanket re-zoning, says they’re hopeful that the motion will pass Tuesday. Adding that he hopes the city will do more consultation with neighbourhoods.

“Most members of the community are hopeful that they can carry the day. The other motions are important in terms of the length and the architectural features and so on, but really that one amendment is an important one for many of us in the community,” says Smith.

But Dewang says if Edmontonians want to see a return on their investment in public transit and LRT service, city leaders should be allowing more in the neighbourhoods near the Valley Line West LRT expansion.

“That’s where we should be talking about eight storeys, not eight units. Because that’s where we maximize investment on our transit investments, and allow people to truly live car-free,” said Dewang.

Both Smyth and Dewang say they’ll be advocating to candidates on zoning ahead of October’s civic election.