Urban Planning Unintended Consequences: Zoning & LRT
When it comes to urban planning, most of the ideas are well intended, but unfortunately there are often unintended consequences.
Today, Calgary and many North American cities are struggling with the unintended consequences of up-zoning to allow for more infill development in existing neighborhoods that are currently zoned predominantly single family detached homes.
As well they are struggling with the unintended negative impact of LRT Stations on the liveability of nearby neighbourhoods.
On this corner lot in West Hillhurst, one small cottage home on the corner (see two homes to the left) has been replaced by three two story homes with no back yard and only tiny front yard. Fortunately there is a park across the street.
Here is an example of several small affordable rental homes that were demolished to make way for a new condo development at the corner of 19th St NW and Kensington Road.
Another example of smaller homes being replaced by large condo buildings in Calgary’s inner city.
This development is ideal as it is within walking distance to shops, schools, downtown and there is park behind it, but unfortunately it also meant the loss of several low rental homes.
Up-Zoning Is Really Upscale Zoning
Today many planners and urbanist are lobbying for blanket rezoning of Calgary’s older suburbs to allow for quicker approval of new duplexes, row housing (clusters of 3 to 8 town homes) and small multi-home buildings (under 4 storeys) or in planner speak, the “missing middle.”
Dan Parolek of Opticos in San Francisco first used the term “missing middle” in 2010 to describe residential buildings between a single-family detached homes and mid and large scale apartment buildings. The buildings must be of a scale comparable to a single-family house, but always includes more than one housing unit - duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, courtyard apartments, bungalow courts, townhouses, multiplexes, and live/work units. They are described as missing as they haven’t been built for many decades, often because the zoning only allows for detached homes.
Another term for this kind of development is “hidden density,” because the new buildings are not very large (often not as tall as the mature tree canopy), so pedestrians, cyclists or drivers barely notice they aren’t detached single family homes.
While up-zoning increases density, it also results in the removal of low-cost housing replacing it with upscale higher cost housing i.e., a lot the once was home to a small old single house with a below average rent or cost to buy, becomes two or more houses with above average rents or purchase prices.
Yes, unfortunately the most attractive homes to redevelop are the old rundown bungalows. And, in some cases it even encourages landlords to let their homes fall into disrepair as they wait for the right time to either sell or redevelop the site.
So, the unintended consequences of up-zoning of older suburbs, it less affordable housing and the gentrification of the neighbourhoods for middle-income professionals and young families.
Along 19th Street NW in West Hillhurst, this small apartment block replaced 3 smaller homes.
In this case one small cottage home has been replaced by two luxury homes. In other cases it can be one small home being replaced by one large home.
LRT Station Safety Issue
While politicians, planners and urbanists are all advocating the benefits of LRT in creating better communities, the public is not so sure if it will benefit them. Calgary’s inner-city LRT stations are now plagued with undesirable activities, that were once clustered in the City Centre.
I was surprised recently when I met with community leaders in Fairview about the mega Midtown redevelopment just to the west of the community that would include a new LRT Station and found-out their biggest issue was the proposed new LRT station. They were concerned the station would result in more crime and undesirable activities in their community. Soon after I was again surprised when a male friend (young non-white professional) who lives within minutes of the proposed Midtown station told me he definitely didn’t want a station close to his home.
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) has been touted for decades as one of the key strategies for diversification and densification of Calgary’s older suburbs. The conversion of the “park and ride lots” and the sea of detached single-family homes next to LRT stations are ripe for “missing middle” redevelopment.
However, the unintended consequence of the LRT (which is basically a free to ride if you don’t get caught) has been to bring crime, drug use and other undesirable activities from the City Centre to the suburbs, especially since the COVID outbreak which has significantly reduced ridership.
While some of the public’s safety concerns are perceived, rather than real, “perception is reality” and if people feel a place is unsafe, they won’t want to live there.
Unfortunately the unintended consequence of LRT development today is to increase safety concerns at and near LRT stations, making the area around them a less attractive place to live.
While many urban planners scoffed at the idea that LRT stations are a problem, saying that sensational news stories are the problem and that crime stats don’t support the perceived safety issue. I would counter with the many comments I hear like this one from Calgarians encounter safety issues as part of their everyday lives. One of the problems with crime stats is that they only measure reported crimes and often what makes someone feel unsafe isn’t a crime but things like needles and other drug related debris and behaviours that make a place feel unsafe.
Last Word
Calgary politicians and city planners would be wise to not over promise and under deliver when it comes to the benefits of up-zoning and transit-oriented development. Yes there are benefits, but like most things there is also a downside.
If you like this blog, these links will be of interest to you:
Calgary: The Evolution of Infill Housing
Calgary: Invasion of the Infills!