Densification – The Solution to Canada’s Housing Crisis?

Other Canadian cities should look to Edmonton’s new zoning bylaw so more Canadians can find an affordable home.

By: Rebecca Kresta

Edmonton is at the forefront of an important shift in Canadian municipal housing policy. On October 23, the City Council voted 11-2 in favor of a new zoning bylaw which allows construction of three-storey apartment buildings, townhouses, or duplexes in any residential neighbourhood. 

Prior to  this change, it was unlawful to build anything but a single-family detached home in many areas. Not only does the bylaw enable the construction of denser, more affordable housing, it also reduces the number of different zoning types by nearly half, streamlining municipal administrative processes, cutting red tape, and saving time and money. As a result, this will enable more densification, minimize environmental impacts and reduce city operating costs.  

Edmonton is a city surrounded by seemingly endless hectares of prairie. In the last forty years, the population has doubled, outstripping city planner projections. Construction of new single-family homes to support this population boom has accelerated urban sprawl. With one million residents and no natural barriers to outward growth, Edmonton now stretches  more than 684 km². The suburbs are filled with cookie-cutter houses and the population density is a quarter that of Vancouver. While this model has worked for decades, the rising costs of construction and infrastructure have made outward expansion unaffordable. 

Lack of skilled workers and the high cost of materials have slowed construction. According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the number of single-family construction starts dropped from 678 in September 2022 to 484 in 2023. Yet Edmonton’s population has continued to grow, with 53,000 people moving to the city over the last two years. 

Urban sprawl has also made city building more expensive. Kilometers of water and sewage pipes, roads, and electrical grid infrastructure must be installed and maintained. The City of Edmonton spends about $979 annually per resident on infrastructure and public transportation. In contrast, the City of Vancouver only has to spend about $878 per resident each year on infrastructure.

There are environmental costs of sprawl. Single family homes require more materials than a duplex or a fourplex,and more energy to heat. Taking public transit in a sprawled city is also not as feasible. Driving from northeast to southwest of Edmonton takes just 35 minutes, while taking public transit takes triple that time. Consequently, only 5 percent of Edmontonians commute to work on foot and 2 percent by bicycle.

People are paying attention to the change. More than 290 Edmontonians participated in a public hearing about the bylaw, a level of engagement that the city hasn’t seen on other issues. Proponents of the change were excited about the opportunity to own a home and more walkable neighbourhoods with stronger communities. Others criticized the inadequate protection for heritage buildings and trees, requirements for energy performance, and measures to support aging in place. City councillors have acknowledged that this bylaw change does not go far enough and have already tabled an additional 25 motions for future discussion. 

In addition to Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Kitchener, Mississauga, and Victoria are examining bylaw changes to encourage densification. Unlike Edmonton, which had been working up to the zoning bylaw for nearly a decade, many cities are at the early stages. Much of this work is being driven by the housing crisis, which is affecting people across the nation. The CMHC estimates that Canada will need 3.5 million more units than what is already being built by 2030. 

A variety of solutions are needed to address lack of skilled workers, costs of construction materials, and availability of affordable housing in addition to zoning changes. To address this shortfall, the 2023 federal budget includes a $4 billion dollar Housing Accelerator Fund. Cities can apply to the fund to support initiatives for affordable housing and housing infrastructure. 

The housing crisis is pressing and will only get worse if barriers to construction of new housing are not reduced. Other cities should learn from Edmonton’s process to accelerate these changes. Densification and diversification of housing is an essential municipal initiative to solve a national problem but solving it will take courage to act and should not be mired in status quo.

Edmonton’s new zoning bylaw to allow for more densification is not just about construction costs. It is about reducing barriers and prioritizing the needs of the many residents facing an unaffordable housing market. It is about the need to move forward – even with imperfect solutions. 

Rebecca Kresta was born and raised in Edmonton. She received her BSC in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and has since moved to Quebec where she worked in the aviation industry before taking on the role of Logistics Team Leader working for Doctors Without Borders in DRC and South Sudan. She is passionate about the role of infrastructure in development.