The mantra of democracy is “the majority rule!” The corollary is “minorities are out of luck!” But that isn’t the case in our fragmented, global world. Today, it seems as if the loud, social media savvy, motivated minorities rule the world. In Calgary, it is the anti-car, anti-suburbs, anti-capitalism and anti-oil and gas who are the loudest minorities who seem to have the ear of the municipal politicians.

Democracy is easier when there is relatively homogenous population with the same beliefs, goals and expectations. But struggles in a heterogenous society where there are no common beliefs, goals and expectations – and it is even harder to make democracy work when goals and expectations of the citizens are diametrically opposed, which is so often the case these days.

Canada has always been a divided country - rural vs urban, west vs east, progressive to conservative – and it’s gotten worse in the 21st century. Today, even our cities are divided, sometimes even neighbourhoods too.

Calgary’s most divisive issue these days is “blanket rezoning.” However, I believe it will not be the catastrophe some think it will be, nor will it be the solution to Calgary’s affordable housing issue.

Calgary: A City Divided

Calgary is a prime example of a city divided. Calgarians are divided on pretty much every major initiative - Ring Road, Green Line, new arena, bike lane infrastructure, taxes, policing - you name it. And now it is “blanket rezoning” which is misunderstood by many.

From City Councillor:

“The proposed R-CG rezoning, allows a max of 4 housing units, 4 secondary suites, and 1 garage suite (suites are technically not considered housing units from a housing density count perspective). The proposed R-CG Bylaw would be ‘discretionary’ which means a Development Permit would have to be advertised and circulated for comments and possible appeal to the Sub-Division Appeal Board if affected parties do not agree with the approval.”

Link: City of Calgary’s Rezoning Information

What does this mean?

This DOESN’T mean there will be 3 to 6 storey apartment blocks added to single family home side streets. But it could mean 4 new rowhouses with 4 secondary suites and a lane home on a 50 foot lot. Physically the structures won’t be any higher than some of the current tall duplexes or McMansions being built on inner city 50 foot lots today, but there could be 20+ people living on a single lot.

At first, it was thought Calgary must have “blanket rezoning” to access $238M from the federal government’s “Housing Accelerator Fund,” but that no longer seems to be the case as Council was informed by administration that the current zoning meets the government’s requirement for funding. The other major reason for “blanket rezoning” is to streamline the approval of these row home projects as they will no longer have to go through rezoning and development permit approval processes i.e. less red tape.

Note: When I posted this City of Calgary administration told Council the Federal funding was not contingent on rezoning. Since then administration is not certain that this is the case, which is another example of how government communications is not clear and funding rules are always subject to change.

In fact, Calgary’s inner-city communities are already full of these smaller infill projects, with new construction on almost every other block. So why is the City pushing “blanket rezoning” on Calgarians, for something already happening? In 2023, 4,000 new homes were built in Calgary’s established communities or about 35% of all new housing starts.

And one could ask “Does the current Council have the mandate to change the current residential zoning rules, given it wasn’t an election issue when they were elected? This is a revolutionary change not evolutionary.”

Politician’s Dilemma

This leads to perhaps a bigger issue when it comes to democracy and municipal politics - poor voter turnout. In the 2021 municipal election, voter turnout was 46%. Does that mean that 54% don’t care who governs the city? Or does it mean they can’t bother with municipal politics until an issue impacts them? Should NIMBYism be called NUIIMism (Not Until It Impacts Me)?

Does this mean the Mayor and Council don’t necessarily represent or understand the views of the majority of Calgarians? Of the current Calgary councillors, only Peter Demong received support from the majority of his voters at 66%. Most Councillors were under 40%, with some as little as 25% of those 46% of residents who bothered to vote. Have the Councillors proactively reached out with an open mind to their constituents to gather information on the views of the constituents re: “blanket rezoning?” Perhaps Councillors could commission an opinion poll to find out to get accurate data. Or are they voting based on their personal view on this and other major issues.

The recent Council vote to have a plebiscite on the “blanket rezoning” issue was defeated 8 to 6 – so we have a Council that is divided (Councillor Wyness didn’t vote). Remember all of those who voted against having a plebiscite were elected by a minority of their voters, except Demong who voted in favour of a plebiscite.

So, does Council really have a mandate to approve “blanket rezoning?” Is this another case of minority rules?

Why some Calgarians are opposed to blanket rezoning?

Calgary has a very high rate of homeownership - currently 69%. Furthermore, an estimated 61% live in single-detached or semi-detached houses i.e. those most impacted by the change in zoning. For many, they lament the loss of trees and the aesthetics of the pedestrian-friendly street with front lawns and gardens. They also are concerned about traffic and lack of enough street parking with all the new neighbours.

Some are concerned about the social changes that may result from a street that is exclusively homeowners versus a mix of homeowners and renters. Renters are perceived by some as being more transient and consequently not having the same commitment to their neighbourhood. As well, rental landlords are often guilty of not looking after their property as conscientiously as homeowners do. However, the same could be said for homeowners i.e. there are good ones and bad ones.

Homeowners too are often hesitant to accept change, as the fear the unknown impact it might have on the value of their home - their biggest monetary asset. The reality: single family home prices will increase in value as their supply decreases with more infilling.

Old heritage homes are very attractive to infill developers as they are often located in ideal locations near lots of amenities.

Why are some in favour of “blanket rezoning?”

The biggest supporters of “blanket rezoning” seem to be city planners, developers who specialize in infill development and progressives i.e. those who advocate for more economic and societal equality. For them, “single family only” zoning is discriminatory in that it excludes low-income households and renters from certain neighbourhoods.

Yes, some inner-city homeowners embrace the new infill homes in their neighbourhood as they attract more young families, new immigrants, young professionals, and retirees who help revitalize older communities. I have personally experienced this living in West Hillhurst for 30+ years. One lesson I have learned is that even with active infilling, it takes decades before a street is entirely converted with new infills of various shapes, sizes and designs.

It is NOT something that happens overnight.

Infills Are Not Cheap

With new infills in Calgary’s established communities starting at about $900,000 for duplexes and $1,200,000+ for detached homes, these are only accessible to a small minority of Calgarians. New 1,300 square foot townhomes coast about $650,000+ and may include purpose-built rental secondary suites that can be rented to help with the mortgage.

Yes, the rezoning will create more secondary suites, but they will be small (around 500 square feet) so not suitable for families and they too won’t be cheap at $1,500+/month.

Here are some basement secondary suite rental cost.

Negative Impact of blanket rezoning

Perhaps the biggest negative impact of blanket rezoning will be the loss of mature trees that are critical to climate change mitigation. Ironically, the same people who are lobbying for “blanket rezoning” are also advocating the need for more trees for shade and carbon capturing. There will also be a loss of front and back yard lawns. FYI: Those urbanists who are saying front lawns are a waste of urban space, don’t seem to appreciate grass is also effective in carbon capturing.

A second negative impact of blanket rezoning is the loss of smaller older homes (some might even be heritage homes) in established communities, i.e. affordable inner-city starter homes, as they are often the cheapest for developers to buy and redevelop and are in popular locations.

Calgary Dream

Calgary’s “homeowner culture” dates to the early pioneers who moved here because they could own their own land and build their own home. Most of Calgary’s population growth in the 20th century was from people moving from small towns in Atlantic Canada, British Columbia and the prairies - individuals and families who were used to space and single family homes with large front and back yards.

For many newcomers, one of the reasons for moving to Calgary is because of the abundance of affordable single family homes, relative to other major cities (think Vancouver, Victoria or Southern Ontario). One of Calgary’s biggest advantages in attracting professionals and entrepreneurs to our city is the abundance of relatively low cost, large single family homes in diverse neighbourhoods across the city and region.

Owning a single family home with a front and back yard, is still very much part of the “Calgary Dream,” so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that there is strong opposition to a zoning change that will reduce the number of single family homes across the city, making them more expensive for those who aspire to someday own one.

Calgary’s urban planners and some politicians don’t seem to understand one of the reasons Calgary is one of the best places to live is NOT because of its urban vitality, but because of its affordable spacious, suburban tranquility even in our inner-city neighbourhoods.

Does democracy work?

Let’s get back to the underlying issue. Does democracy work anymore? While some Councillors and citizens want to remove the city’s “exclusionary residential zoning,” is that the will of the majority of Calgarians or just a loud minority? Nobody really knows!

Does Council have the mandate to make such a revolutionary change in zoning? Why is the City continuing to pursue the divisive “blanket rezoning” when there are other options and densification is happening at record levels in our established neighbourhoods.

I am a big fan of “everything in moderation.” Rather than “blanket rezoning,” the City should continue to work with Community Associations and community leaders to strategically and proactively identify sites for adding density to every community in the city. Yes, that includes Roxboro and all other upscale neighborhoods.

FYI: The City is are already doing this with the development of new “Community Local Area Plans” launched in 2021.

Last Word

Calgary politicians and planners must start “working together” with its citizens to make our city better and stop being so divisive. A democracy works best when everyone compromises - the progressives and the conservatives, the majority and the minorities, the developers and NUIIMies and our politicians.

“Blanket rezoning” will not be the catastrophe for Calgary that some think it will be, it will also not be the solution to Calgary’s affordable housing issue that some are saying it will be. Perhaps the biggest negative is how it has further fostered the divisiveness and dissention in our city.

Blanket Rezoning: Democracy doesn’t work anymore?