Realtors criticize Calgary upzoning move

“Zoning is a tool, it’s not an end,” says Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University’s City Program.

Yet zoning is increasingly framed by governments as a key strategy to spur development and unlock housing affordability, and Calgary is no exception.

One of the initiatives brought forward by the City of Calgary’s housing strategy, approved in September, is to rezone all low-density residential districts to allow for the construction of up to four units per lot. According to a city statement, doing this would “remove the barriers and increase housing choice, such as including different sizes of homes that would be on the lower end of the market.”