The Alberta government is ordering the City of Edmonton to revert to its old rules for infill housing development.
During a news conference Thursday, Premier Danielle Smith said the city’s current policies, which have largely been in place since 2024, are too permissive and are harming homeowners by reducing property values and creating parking headaches.
Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack has repeatedly pushed back against the prospect of provincial involvement in municipal zoning decisions, saying land use is a local decision and it should always be so.
The 2023 zoning bylaw changes paved the way for housing redevelopment across much of Edmonton, in an effort to increase density and manage population growth.
Smith said the goal can’t just be to build more housing and more attention needs to be paid on making sure new developments are properly integrated into the existing community.
The province is ordering the city to Edmonton to revert to the previous parameters for housing types, density and height, and to restore minimum on-site parking requirements in place before 2020.
Edmonton city council will have three months as of Oct. 8 to comply, Smith said, after which it will be required to review and consult on its land use rules.
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The province is also ordering Calgary to maintain its current rules after that city’s council backtracked on its own zoning policies earlier this year.
The changes ordered by the province on Thursday will be in place while both cities carry out comprehensive reviews of their land use bylaws, engage in public consultation and work with industry to pursue a more balanced approach to high-density infill, the province said.
Edmonton will have 18 months to review, while the province said Calgary’s broader review, which is currently underway, is planned to be complete in 2027.
Why are infills controversial for some?
Infill has been a contentious topic in Edmonton: from restrictive covenants to buying the neighbouring property, the rise in multi-unit builds in recent years has led some homeowners to take drastic action.
In 2023, the City of Edmonton changed zoning bylaws to allow for more multi-unit buildings up to three storeys in all neighbourhoods.
The aim was to encourage a variety of development to be built more easily in residential areas, to increase housing choices and affordability.
In early 2024, the federal government committed $175 million from the Housing Accelerator program to fast-track more than 5,200 new housing units in Edmonton over three years.
But there’s been mixed reaction to the increase in multi-unit buildings replacing single-family homes.
Proponents of infill densification argue cities need to adapt to growing populations, and multiplexes offer a way to make existing neighbourhoods more dense without adding more sprawl to the city by building out into agricultural land.
Infill ended up being a contentious topic during the 2025 fall municipal election campaign after residents of established communities expressed concerns with property values, not enough parking, predatory developers, quality of builds and housing affordability.
The issue has become a point of discussion between municipal and provincial leaders.
During her weekend radio program Your Province, Your Premier in mid-September, Smith said residents affected by the developments have raised concerns with the province.
At that time, Smith said Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams was reviewing concerns related to Edmonton’s citywide rezoning approach.
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This is a breaking news story. More to come…
With files from Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
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