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Opinion: Edmonton needs better infill — not a return to outdated zoning

I build infill housing in Edmonton, and I understand why the debate over the city’s new zoning rules has become so heated. Residents are worried about parking, garbage collection, privacy, sunlight, neighbourhood character and the scale of new buildings beside older homes. Those concerns deserve a serious response.

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But returning Edmonton wholesale to its former zoning system would be a serious mistake. The better course is to identify the housing forms causing the greatest concern, improve the standards governing them and preserve the parts of the new system that support responsible growth.

My experience with Belgravia Square shows what thoughtful infill can contribute. The project is a four-storey concrete-and-steel building with a brick exterior, large windows, geothermal heating and cooling, a 72-kilowatt solar array and a rooftop deck. It went through a lengthy rezoning hearing and faced predictions that it would damage the neighbourhood. Instead, it became a high-quality addition to the streetscape,........

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