Dear IDEA Members,
This municipal election season is a critical moment for the future of infill in Edmonton. Campaigns can generate promises that feel good in the moment but can have long-term consequences for housing choice, affordability, and neighbourhood renewal.
Our role is to ensure that City Councillors and Council candidates hear a consistent, constructive message: protect and advance infill development, not roll it back. Infill provides Edmontonians with more housing choice, stabilizes costs, strengthens mature neighbourhoods, and makes better use of existing infrastructure. A rollback now would risk undoing years of progress and set Edmonton back by a decade.
To help you take action, we’ve put together a set of messages and commitments you can use in emails, conversations, and candidate forums.
How You Can Help
Copy the sample email template below.
Personalize it with your name and ward/neighbourhood.
Send it to your incumbent Councillor and all candidates running in your ward.
Share this package with other community members who support infill.
Sample Email Template
Subject: Support Infill Development in Edmonton
Dear [Candidate Name],
As a resident committed to responsible growth, I urge you to protect and advance infill as part of your platform. Infill is critical for Edmonton’s future: it helps keep housing affordable, allows families to live in neighbourhoods close to schools, jobs, and transit, and strengthens our city’s tax base by making better use of existing infrastructure.
Rolling back people’s ability to build infill housing would reduce affordability, increase sprawl, and make our city less sustainable. Instead, we need leadership that champions thoughtful policy, practical commitments, and continued progress.
Please consider the following commitments:
Design & Neighbourhood Character
Edmonton’s mature neighbourhoods have always evolved, and diverse housing types are part of what makes them strong.
Commitment: Support targeted zoning adjustments when needed and champion local design excellence.
Infrastructure
Mature neighbourhoods were built for more people than live there today, and all infill goes through infrastructure review. Modern buildings often put less strain on systems than aging ones.
Commitment: Push for clearer public reporting on upgrades and smarter coordination between planning and budgeting.
Parking & Transportation
Outdated parking minimums have been removed after detailed study. Parking is still provided in most new developments, and many new homes are close to LRT and transit.
Commitment: Support context-sensitive parking strategies and investments in sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit.Density
Six units per lot was already possible under zoning; what’s changed is that more people are choosing to build them. Unit counts should scale proportionately to lot size.
Commitment: Support reviews of zoning permissions based on lot size, to ensure appropriate scaling without undermining housing choice.Affordability
Edmonton is facing a housing shortage, and infill is one of the most effective ways to add the supply we need. Row houses and multiplexes provide more attainable options for families who can’t afford new single detached homes. Adding homes in established areas also helps stabilize prices citywide and gives more people the chance to live near schools, jobs, and transit.
Commitment: Incentivize affordable and family-friendly infill, including non-market, and streamline approvals for efficient projects.Developers & Construction
Most infill builders are local small businesses. Enforcement matters for noise, debris, and accountability.
Commitment: Strengthen enforcement on poor practices and a stronger business licensing framework to reward good builders.Public Engagement
Zoning can be technical, and people need better explanations of what’s allowed.
Commitment: Support clearer communication tools and ongoing, robust public engagement on any future zoning changes.Trees
Infill accounts for less tree loss than storms or disease, and new rules already require replacements.
Commitment: Support better tracking and transparency around tree removal and replacement—and push for higher canopy targets in new developments.
Infill development makes Edmonton more affordable, sustainable, and vibrant. With your leadership, we can continue to build communities that thrive today and for generations to come.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Ward or Neighbourhood]