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Edmonton is rising to the demand for GROWTH

Last year, our population rose to 1.2 million! In the last three years, Edmonton has welcomed an estimated 170,000 new people, and the trend of substantial population increases is expected to continue in the coming years. This rapid growth presents the City with both opportunities and challenges.

Edmonton’s population is rapidly increasing, and it’s easy to see why. We’ve been called Canada’s “last affordable major city” and we’re working to keep it that way. 

Last year, our population rose to 1.2 million! In the last three years, Edmonton has welcomed an estimated 170,000 new people, and the trend of substantial population increases is expected to continue in the coming years. This rapid growth presents the City with both opportunities and challenges.

One of the big opportunities is to grow upward, not just outward, since numbers show that urban sprawl is not economically sustainable for the City, given that the costs to provide services to these areas are not recovered through low-density development. This will ensure Edmonton accommodates growth while maintaining affordability — part of the reason people move here. The good news is, we’re on the path to sustainable growth and responsible development. 

Last year, the City implemented a new Zoning Bylaw, which takes direction from the City Plan and encourages a greater variety of housing in all neighbourhoods. And we’re seeing the results. In the first year since implementation in 2024, there were nearly 16,000 new dwelling permits issued. Apartments, row houses, mixed-use developments, and secondary suites accounted for two-thirds of these. This offers citizens greater housing choice at different price points.

The City has taken nationally recognized steps to reduce red tape for building and development permits. Edmonton is the first city in Canada to offer automated permits for single detached and semi-detached homes in developing neighbourhoods. In general, the vast majority of development permits — 91% — are issued within 20 days. This saves both time and money for the City and applicants. Last year, permits for residential construction were up by 50%, including 7,129 permits for single family homes.

All this development also expands our tax base, allowing for growth and sustainability in supporting our local city services. Infill development in mature areas has created a tax uplift of approximately $263 million dollars over the past decade. 

While I support infill, it’s not about density at all costs, which is why I advocated for the City to put in place accountability measures. The City has also implemented a variety of tools for notification of development and demolition, to help keep citizens informed of what’s going on in their neighbourhoods. There is more work to be done, such as the Curbside Management Strategy.

I look forward to sharing more updates about the City’s approach to housing and development as we continue to welcome new Edmontonians to our beautiful capital.


Check out my previous blog posts on housing affordability and infill accountability.

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