August 22, 2022
City Council
City of Edmonton
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton AB, T5J 2R7
RE: August 23, 2022, Urban Planning Committee Items 7.2 Investment in New Development & 7.3 Growth Management Framework - Development Cost and Revenues
To Urban Planning Committee, Mayor and City Council:
The Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA) is an educational and advocacy nonprofit, non-partisan association that represents over 180 city builders and city shapers. Our purpose is to drive change toward people-centred communities within Edmonton’s mature neighbourhoods. The majority of our members are small and local businesses, passionate about executing Council’s City Plan goals. At IDEA, we believe that the first stage of City Plan implementation is critical: growing from 1 million to 1.25 million residents. Getting started on this growth curve means overcoming significant inertia and comfort with the status quo. It requires heavy lifting to make sure Zoning Bylaw Renewal and the district planning process build on the strong foundation of City Plan to empower infill and urban redevelopment. It requires us to reevaluate our operational standards (waste management, fire rescue, water, drainage and power), to create systems to resource and fund deficiencies, and ultimately, to create a culture that supports change for the benefit of everyone.
7.2 Investment in New Development
IDEA supports Option 3 as outlined in Administration’s report UPE00894. A Growth Management Program service package would lead to a holistic understanding of options available to capture value from new development, without having the unintended consequence of disincentivizing redevelopment, which would surely occur under Options 1 and 2. In particular, Option 2 poses a real threat to our members, as any additional financial burden could impede the viability of small and medium-scale infill projects—which are already a challenge to get off the ground—and would contravene City Plan policies to facilitate infill.
7.3 Growth Management Framework - Development Cost and Revenues
IDEA appreciates the work to date to create more financial transparency on the implications of development patterns and land use decisions. However, more work is needed. People want to live in mature neighbourhoods, but doing so remains far more costly than suburban neighbourhoods because i) land and servicing costs more, ii) the process is more complicated and takes more time, and iii) there is no economy of scale. Some of these factors can and should be understood and influenced by the City. Generally, we know that higher-density land use, a mixed-use built form and a multimodal transportation system delivers cost savings and infrastructure efficiencies, allowing more people to live in mature neighbourhoods.
IDEA believes Council should request more technical data from Administration—including current density, density targets, financial sustainability, etc.—relative to land development applications heard at City Council Public Hearings in both the developing and redeveloping areas to assist in making decisions aligned with City Plan.
IDEA would like to thank City Administration and Council for their continuous work in implementing City Plan. As stated previously, IDEA believes the first stage of City Plan implementation is critical, and the more information we have to ensure our decision-making is sustainable, the better.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, please contact IDEA via Mariah Samji at mariah@infilledmonton.com or 780-951-6926.
Sincerely,
Letter sent to Edmonton City Council, Office of the City Clerks, Deputy City Manager of Urban Planning and Economy and the Director of Urban Growth and Open Space