Commentary
As yet another Canadian city buckles to pressure from residents and rejects the densification of its single-family neighbourhoods, we would do well to consider the valid reasons why so many Canadians remain attached to suburbia.
After a marathon two-week public hearing, Calgary city council voted 12-3 on April 8th to repeal a 2024 mass rezoning that greenlit multiplexes and rowhouses in single-family neighbourhoods. Over 300,000 parcels are now back to their previous low-density designation.
The original move to rezone the city for more density had drawn fire from critics over concerns around parking, infrastructure strain, and loss of community character.
These concerns have been at play in battles over densification in communities across the country. In B.C., provincial density legislation is encountering fierce resistance from mayors, while in Toronto, the city government scrapped a plan last year that would have allowed for sixplexes across the city….