Hundreds gather during public hearings for proposed blanket rezoning in Calgary

In response to the housing and affordability crisis, the City of Calgary has put forth a strategy to address these issues by pushing a ‘blanket rezoning’ of the entire municipality.

The rezoning would see the densification of housing development that would take effect in August if the motion is passed.

It would stipulate mixed-density housing with a focus on high-density, meaning a mixture of duplexes, townhouses, and/or row houses that would have to be built into otherwise single-family home developments.

Kicking off on Monday, April 22, Calgary City Council braces for a marathon of discussions.

This hearing, expected to span seven days, is set to become the longest and largest in Calgary's history. With an impressive 675 individuals registered to speak, it is clear that this rezoning proposal holds significant concern amongst Calgarians.

Once the public hearing wraps up, council members will engage in discussions to reach a decision on potential amendments to the city's land-use bylaw.

Concerns from citizens are that this could negatively affect the atmosphere of neighborhoods and communities, their historical significance, property values, traffic flow, and privacy for current homeowners in these areas. According to the city, the housing strategy will incur expenses of almost $60 million initially, $27 million annually, and $10 million in yearly capital costs for Calgarians.

Furthermore, Calgary's proposed 'densification' efforts are a blueprint for 15-minute cities. Mayor Jyoti Gondek took money from the Trudeau government for the restructuring of the city before the motion was properly discussed or even passed, leaving even more worry for citizens.

In this report, we hear from citizens who share their concerns about the rezoning strategy, those who support the motion, as well as from the mayor herself.