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Keith Gerein: UCP intrusion on infill leaves Edmonton council with limited options to fight back

Higher density, which was planned as a key strategy for the city’s affordability, vibrancy and business climate, is now going to be more difficult to achieve

There are several layers of disappointment to Premier Danielle Smith’s abrupt destruction of Edmonton’s zoning bylaw, but one of the biggest has been the willingness of some local residents to cheer on the UCP’s evisceration of local democracy to get their way.

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Principles aren’t really principles if we respect them only at times of convenience.

Part of me understands it, at least on this issue. We’re talking about people’s homes and communities, their sanctuary from the horrors of the world. It’s not surprising to see people react strongly to what they see as a threat.

That said, I do wish that folks would take a longer and farther look outside their front doors sometimes, because I truly believe that this decision will be a self-defeating one for the city, and ultimately contradictory to residents’ broader goals.

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