Repeal of Blanket Rezoning

The City has created an excellent website “Understanding the proposed citywide zoning change”

Topics Covered:

What is being proposed

How this may impact you

Interactive address map

Proposed R-CG changes

    • Blanket rezoning refers to a change (passed in May 2024) to Calgary’s Land Use Bylaw (LUB) so that much of the city’s low-density residential areas (formerly only single- or semi-detached homes) are now zoned R-CG (“Residential – Grade Oriented Infill”).

    • RCG zoning allows a wider variety of housing types: rowhouses, duplexes, triplexes, secondary suites, etc.

    • Importantly, with blanket rezoning, developers no longer need a site-specific public hearing to rezone individual properties in many cases

  • Repeal of City Blanket Upzoning

    The new Mayor and Council followed through with their campaign promises and made a motion to repeal Blanket Upzoning.  The public hearing before Council is on March 23, 2026.‍ ‍

    Here are the main elements of the motion to repeal:

    1) Rollback of Zoning

    • The motion calls for reverting the landuse bylaw back to its state before the blanket rezoning was adopted.

    • Specifically, restore the zoning districts that existed prior to “Bylaw 21P2024.”

    2) Grandfathering / Exceptions

    • The repeal would not retroactively cancel every project: properties that already have development permits approved or currently under review would be excluded from the rollback.

    • This is intended to avoid disrupting projects already in motion.

    3) Additional Asks

    • The motion also asks for a report on infrastructure capacity (water, sewer, stormwater) given concerns about strain under higher density.

    • It requests a review of parking requirements, presumably to address local traffic and parking congestion.

  • The Public hearing is on March 23, 2026. It will be a massive hearing like the April 2024 on implementing citywide Blanket Upzoning.

    As of March 15, there are already 1,100 written public submissions and 164 registrations for speakers.

Impact of Citywide Blanket Upzoning

Was there any impact of Citywide Blanket Upzoning? YES.

The chart shows a massive increase in Building Permits for R-CG Rowhouse units. In 2025, there were double the number of Building Permits compared to 2022 — the highest year prior to 2024.

Concerns and Negative Impact of Blanket Upzoning

Citywide Blanket Upzoning abandons planning framework required by the Municipal Government Act and the Calgary Municipal Development Plan. Instead of planned guided development, it shifts land use decision making to hundreds of uncoordinated, profit-driven developers, each working lot-by-lot with no obligation to consider cumulative effects on the neighbourhood. The result is highly unpredictable redevelopment outcomes.

There may be many good, context-sensitive infill builders who produce high-quality projects that fit well into established communities. But citywide Banket Upzoning also enables “to-the-limit” projects that maximize every dimension with minimal regard for surroundings. These produce real and measurable neighbourhood impacts, including:

• Loss of privacy through massing and window placement

• Overshadowing and reduced sunlight in neighbouring yards

• Disruption of established streetscapes, negative impact on neighbourhood character.

• Increased on-street parking congestion

• Tree canopy loss

• Infrastructure strain in older communities not designed for higher densities.

These are cumulative problems, emerging gradually when redevelopment occurs project-by-project without the coordination.

Eboya and Britannia have not seen any direct impact; there has not been any R-CG projects proposed.  But in those neighbourhoods where the R-CGs are concentrated there have been many cases of the negative impact that were anticipated. EBCA is a member of a Slack channel with other Community Associations that report and discuss these impacts.

ACTION

What can we do support the repeal of Citywide Blanket Upzoning?

The only thing that really matters is how the Councillor’s vote on March 23.

We need to influence undecided “swing” Councillors to vote in favour.

We need to do what we did in 2024 to influence Councillor’s vote:

·         Write Letters

·         Speak at the Hearing

·         Attend the Hearing

For the those of us that participated in the 2024 Hearing, your work is done. Nothing has changed. Your concerns then are still valid.  You don’t need to write a new letter or speech, just refresh your old one.  The new Councillors will not have heard what we have to say.

To submit letters or register to speak go to “Council Meetings” and and committee meetings and press the Submit button.

Public participation in the hearing: We are not alone. As of March 15, there are already 1,100 written public submissions and 164 registrations for speakers.