An Edmonton councillor is pushing to temporarily halt all infill construction in mature neighborhoods, citing concerns that residents need more time to digest the impact of the city’s controversial new zoning bylaw.
Councillor Tim Cartmell announced last week that he intends to bring forward a motion to pause all rezoning applications for six months, potentially putting dozens of housing projects in limbo. The move comes amid growing tensions between development advocates and neighborhood preservationists since the Zoning Bylaw 12800 took effect January 1st.
“What I’m hearing from my constituents is ‘slow down,'” Cartmell told me during a community walk-through in Ritchie neighborhood. “People are feeling steamrolled by the pace of change. They moved into these areas expecting a certain character and suddenly the rules have changed.”
The new bylaw, which implements Edmonton’s ambitious City Plan, removes single-family-only zoning across the city, theoretically allowing multi-unit housing on any residential lot. The change has become a flashpoint in debates about housing affordability, neighborhood character, and climate action.
Housing advocates view the pause as potentially damaging to Edmonton’s efforts to address its housing crisis. According to the Edmonton Social Planning Council, the city’s rental vacancy rate sits at 2.7 percent, down from 7.2 percent just two years ago, while average rents have climbed nearly 15 percent in the same period.
“A six-month pause might not sound like much, but in construction terms, that’s pushing projects into another winter cycle,” explained Ashley Salvador, president of YEGarden Suites and an advocate for housing diversity. “Every unit matters when we’re talking about housing shortages.”
The Alberta Construction Association estimates that approximately 70 infill projects could be delayed if the moratorium passes, representing roughly 300 housing units across the city’s mature neighborhoods.
But for residents like Margaret Bannister, who has lived in Westmount for 32 years, the pause makes sense. “The character of these neighborhoods matters. That’s why people choose to live here,” she told me while tending her front garden. “We’re not against all development, but we deserve meaningful consultation about what goes up next door.”
City data shows infill development has already been transforming Edmonton’s older areas. Last year, 32 percent of all new housing units were built in established neighborhoods, up from just 13 percent a decade ago.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi has expressed skepticism about the proposed moratorium. At last week’s council meeting, he suggested that slowing development could worsen affordability pressures. “We need to be cautious about any policy that could reduce housing supply when so many Edmontonians are struggling to find homes they can afford,” Sohi said.
The tension reflects a broader debate playing out in cities across Canada, where governments at all levels are trying to address housing shortages through densification. The federal Housing Accelerator Fund has provided municipalities with incentives to remove restrictive zoning, while the provincial government has directed cities to streamline approvals for multi-unit housing.
Councillor Ashley Salvador (no relation to the YEGarden Suites president) said she understands residents’ concerns but worries about the implications of pausing development. “Change is difficult, especially when it affects the place you call home,” she acknowledged. “But we also need to recognize that our housing system isn’t working for a growing segment of Edmontonians.”
Urban planner Sandeep Agrawal from the University of Alberta believes the controversy stems from the bylaw’s city-wide approach. “Most cities have taken a more targeted approach to upzoning, focusing on transit corridors or specific neighborhoods,” he explained. “Edmonton’s approach is ambitious but perhaps didn’t adequately prepare communities for what change might look like on their streets.”
The city’s planning department confirms that under the new bylaw, applications for row housing and small apartment buildings have increased 47 percent compared to the same period last year.
For Cartmell, the pause isn’t about stopping change but ensuring it happens thoughtfully. “We need to get this right,” he insisted. “A six-month slowdown to improve communication and potentially adjust some regulations could lead to better outcomes for everyone.”
The moratorium proposal is expected to come before council next month, where it will likely face intense debate from all sides. In the meantime, developers are rushing to submit applications before any potential pause, creating exactly the kind of hurried development pressure the moratorium aims to address.
As Edmonton continues navigating these complicated waters of urban change, the outcome will set important precedents for how the city balances growth with neighborhood stability – and whether its ambitious housing and climate goals can be achieved while maintaining the support of existing communities.
