Danielle Smith says her government is rolling back zoning bylaws in Edmonton, a decision Mayor Andrew Knack said will cost residents at tax time. Smith announced on Thursday that Edmonton and Calgary need to revert bylaw changes to housing types, density and height that she said are harming homeowners. “Albertans want neighbourhoods where they have room to live, a place to park and a community they can be part of. We’ve heard from Albertans who feel the pace and scale of some high-density infill is changing that,” Smith said. Edmonton was given three months to revert to zoning parameters from before bylaws were changed in 2024, as well as restore on-site parking requirements in place before 2020. During that time, current bylaws will remain in place and approved development will continue. Calgary will be directed to maintain its current approach after it recently repealed zoning changes on its own accord. Both cities will also need to carry out new public consultation, which Edmonton is required to complete within 18 months. Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams said the province needed to step in to prevent housing growth from putting pressure on local utilities, traffic or parking. Williams said he appreciated the years of work city staff put into drafting new bylaws, but said some changes “went too far, too fast.” “We can have a policy that drives housing starts and also reduces the conflict we have within our communities,” Williams said. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack called the province’s mandate “uninformed” and said it would take Edmonton city planning “back to the 1960s.” “Limiting homes in established neighbourhoods doesn’t stop growth; it pushes it to the edge of the city. Taxpayers can’t afford for us to keep sprawling,” Knack said. Knack said he didn’t believe Smith understood the consequences the province’s intervention would have and said decisions about Edmonton neighbourhoods should be made in Edmonton. “There is no accountability when the rules of your street are written in the premier’s office,” Knack said. “My ask of the premier is simple: Pause this chaotic directive.” Infill has been a hot topic in Edmonton since new zoning bylaws launched in 2024, with critics arguing that high-density homes on former-single-family lots put strain on mature neighbourhoods. The city said its three-year public engagement ahead of the 2024 rollout was “extensive,” while some residents complained they were blindsided by the changes. Knack said the city has since been listening to residents, and cited recent adjustments such as lowering infill height limits and creating the Construction Accountability Program to crack down on builders breaking the rules. Naheed Nenshi, the leader of the Alberta NDP, said the province has no expertise in urban planning and should leave it to the experts and local leaders. “We just had an election which made it seem like the majority of Edmontonians were not, in fact, that angry about this,” Nenshi said. “But if people are,” he added. “Then they have every right to go to their municipal councillors … to force change at the local level.” With files from CTV News Angela Amato, Hannah Kavanagh and Miriam Valdes-Carletti
