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Opinion: Rolling back pro-density zoning restricts housing choice
Opinion: Rolling back pro-density zoning restricts housing choice

Yahoo

time18-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Opinion: Rolling back pro-density zoning restricts housing choice

On June 30, Edmonton city council will decide whether to roll back some new zoning rules that enabled building gentle density in all neighbourhoods. It's not hard to predict the arguments they will hear in opposition to infill: 'Preserve neighbourhood character;' 'This is too much, too fast;' 'I'm not against infill, but I have some concerns.' The language is careful, and measured. Nobody wants to sound unreasonable. The opposition to infill insist they're not against density. They understand we need more housing to accommodate growth sustainably, improve city finances, and shorten commutes. They just have concerns about the pace, the scale, the process. But strip away the diplomatic language and the crux of the debate becomes clear: Should people be able to live where they want to live, in the neighbourhoods they love? The answer should be obvious, yet here we are again, debating whether people have the right to choose affordable homes in desirable neighbourhoods. It's no surprise that people want to live in places like Garneau, Belgravia, and Crestwood. Edmonton's mature neighbourhoods offer something special: walkable streets, established trees, proximity to downtown, access to quality schools and community amenities. Even if it means renting instead of owning, accepting smaller square footage, or living in a basement unit, the iron law of real estate remains unchanged: People want location, location, location. These are reasonable compromises, practical choices that reflect what people can afford while still accessing the neighbourhoods they value. Fortunately, Edmonton has begun to respond to this demand. In 2024, new zoning rules came into force that allow different types of housing, such as rowhouses, to be built in neighbourhoods that previously only allowed single-family homes. According to city development data, 4,000 new infill homes have since been permitted in mature neighbourhoods, validating what many already knew: There is strong pent-up demand to live in our central neighbourhoods. Thanks to the zoning changes, thousands more people will soon be able to live in the neighbourhoods they love. Unfortunately, city council is poised to roll back some zoning changes, prioritizing the complaints of a vocal minority of existing homeowners over the needs of people who want to live in infill housing. Pitched as a compromise to make new infill fit in with the neighbourhood, the proposed changes include reducing maximum building lengths, and limiting the number of side doors. In short, this means reducing flexibility granted with the new zoning bylaw. As Coun. Michael Janz openly implied, these changes will result in fewer rowhouses built in mature neighbourhoods. That means more people priced out of mature neighbourhoods, gatekeeping Edmonton's best neighbourhoods so that rowhouses look like single-family homes. The irony is that despite complaints about new zoning moving too fast, mature neighbourhoods continue to change gradually. The data show that at current rates, if you live in a mature neighbourhood, it will be an average of 29 years until a home on your block develops into a rowhouse of five or more units. The home next to you? An average of 140 years. Practically, this means that when you walk around mature neighbourhoods, you will almost surely encounter a larger rowhouse, but they will not be anywhere near the norm for decades. There is no need to further slow the pace of change, when the pace of change is already slow. We need to better contextualize the infill debate within this broader housing crisis. The question isn't whether neighbourhoods will change; they always have and always will. The question is whether we will allow them to change in ways that give people the freedom to live in neighbourhoods they love. This freedom shouldn't be a luxury reserved for the wealthy. It should be a basic right in a city that claims to welcome growth and opportunity. When we restrict housing choice, we're not preserving neighbourhood character: We're enforcing neighbourhood exclusion. Jacob Dawang is a volunteer with Grow Together Edmonton, a pro-housing advocacy group run by ordinary Edmontonians, and a data blogger on the side. We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don't publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal |The Edmonton Sun.

The two neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester first in line for a £20m boost
The two neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester first in line for a £20m boost

Yahoo

time12-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

The two neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester first in line for a £20m boost

Two neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester have been named among the first in the UK to benefit from a boost of up to £20m. Unveiling her Spending Review today (June 11), Rachel Reeves announced 'additional funding' to support up to 350 communities across the country. The Chancellor said that this unspecified sum will be used to improve parks, youth facilities, swimming pools and libraries. The money, which will be spent in some of the UK's most deprived areas, will also support the 'fightback' against graffiti and fly-tipping. READ MORE: LIVE: More arrests after Salford disorder saw riot police called to street READ MORE: Four more arrests and girl, 16, charged following 'serious disorder' in Salford During her speech in Parliament, Ms Reeves revealed that Stockport would be one of the areas set to benefit from the funding. In documents published following her speech, the government has now revealed that two places in Greater Manchester are among 25 'trailblazer' neighbourhoods that will each receive up to £20m over the next decade as part of the new fund Ms Reeves announced. The two neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester that have been selected are Brinnington in Stockport and Pendleton in Salford. The Government has today announced 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods that will receive up to £20 million over the next decade as part of a new fund announced at the Spending Review. Pendleton in Salford is one of themhttps:// — Rebecca Long-Bailey (@RLong_Bailey) June 11, 2025 According to government papers, they will be among the first of up to 350 places that are set to benefit, alongside the 75 towns previously named in the Plan for Neighbourhoods which include Ashton-under-Lyne, Chadderton, Farnworth, Heywood and Leigh. In her speech to MPs, Ms Reeves said: "I know the pride that people feel in their communities. I see it everywhere I go. "But I also know that for too many people there is a sense that something has been lost. As high streets have declined, as community spaces have closed, as jobs and opportunities have gone elsewhere. The renewal of Britain must be felt everywhere." Welcoming the news, Stockport MP Navendu Mishra said: "As one of the 25 new trailblazer neighbourhoods, it is great that Brinnington is set to receive a share of £20 million to lead the way in community-led regeneration and renewal. "Following 14 years of neglect from Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Governments, I am pleased that this Government is giving neighbourhoods like Brinnington the extra support they deserve. I welcome this investment into the renewal of our community in Stockport." Ahead of the spending review, the Local Trust called on the government to break the cycle of deprivation in 'doubly disadvantaged' areas around the country, with the charity arguing that 'neighbourhood-level interventions' are needed for long-lasting regeneration. Madeleine Jennings, Head of Policy and Communications at Local Trust said: 'The Chancellor has recognised the importance of pride in place and that many communities around the country have seen that pride decline. The Big Local programme has shown that a sense of pride about the community you live in essential component of good health and wellbeing, especially in deprived areas. "However, our evidence also shows that agency and a belief in collective efficacy are just as important which is why we will continue to work with the government to ensure this new programme puts communities themselves in charge of decision making and setting priorities. "At a time of difficult decisions, the Chancellor's decision to invest in social infrastructure in deprived areas is testament to the powerful evidence in favour of long-term investment in community capacity coming out of the Big Local programme. "We are proud that the learning from Big Local has been able to inform the work of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods who have powerfully advocated for such a fund in order to reach the communities living in neighbourhoods that are furthest from being able to achieve the government's five missions."

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