ZONING BYLAW RENEWAL INITIATIVE Happening Soon: Public Hearing
Members of the public may choose to participate at Council and Committee meetings in person or remotely. You can request to speak up until your item has been dealt with. The public is invited to view in-progress meetings online via the Agenda, Council on the Web or City Council's YouTube Channel.
City Council will be hosting a Statutory Public Hearing to consider Edmonton’s new Zoning Bylaw (Charter Bylaw 20001) and city-wide rezoning (Charter Bylaw 21001) on October 16, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. View the bylaws and accompanying reports on the agenda. Here’s what else you should know:
Understand the process: Read the Public Hearing Playbook — a step-by-step guide that simplifies Land Use Statutory Public Hearings to make sure everyone has the tools to participate.
Watch the meeting: Livestream the City Council Public Hearing on Council on the Web or the Council Chambers YouTube channel or join in person at City Hall’s Council Chamber.
Register to speak: Complete the request to speak form and the Public Hearing procedure will be made available to you. We encourage you to register before the Public Hearing date as speaker order is determined by the order of registrations.
Submit written comments: Send written comments to the Office of the City Clerk. All written submissions will be available for public review.
Know your zone: Find your proposed new zone using the online map.
Pending the bylaws’ approval at City Council Public Hearing, the new Zoning Bylaw and city-wide rezoning will come into effect on January 1, 2024.
Public Hearing Prep
Zoning and city planning can often feel confusing. We’ve got you covered — learn about the proposed zoning changes and how they may impact your property by checking out the following documents in the Public Hearing Prep category in our online Document Library:
Proposed Zone Equivalencies: Reference the proposed new zones under the new Zoning Bylaw with their equivalent zones under the current Zoning Bylaw 12800.
Overview of the New Zoning Bylaw: Explore a condensed overview of Edmonton's proposed new Zoning Bylaw's key sections and zone summaries.
Proposed New Zoning Bylaw with Rationale: Learn about the proposed new Zoning Bylaw’s rationale for regulations. Green text indicates major changes made from the May 2023 Draft Zoning Bylaw.
At-A-Glance Summaries: Explore one-page summaries on how the proposed new Zoning Bylaw will support more housing, the environment and businesses in Edmonton.
Get Ready to Engage!
District Planning’s last chapter of its multi-phase public engagement on the revised district plans is scheduled from October 23 to December 1, 2023. You’ll be invited to share your feedback and ask questions through online engagement sessions, surveys, one-on-one Chat With a Planner sessions and using tools on Engaged Edmonton, the project’s engagement hub.
How will district plans impact me?
If you want to change how your property is used (for example, replacing a house with a shop or an apartment building)
If the street you take to work is being renewed, your district plan would include policies that will inform the street design
How can I prepare for engagement?
Read the Overview of Changes to learn about the changes made following the project’s 2022 public engagement
Review the updated list of geographic plans proposed to keep, change or retire to see whether a plan in your area is proposed for change (amendment) or retirement
Sign up early for an online engagement session
Becoming a healthy, urban and climate-resilient city of two million requires a transformational shift in managing Edmonton’s greenfield growth (conversion of land that has not previously been developed). The City Plan directs that the city’s developing area (located primarily outside Anthony Henday Drive and north of 41st Avenue SW) be “substantially complete” before City Council authorizes development in the future growth area (lands south of 41st Avenue SW).
Substantial completion is important for:
Creating complete communities: Residents in existing developing areas need to have the proper infrastructure, services and amenities before the city builds outwards
Financial sustainability: Using existing infrastructure efficiently and working to fulfill existing amenity and service commitments (e.g. community recreation facilities, transit service and parks) will improve the City’s financial position
Supporting climate resilience: Building within Edmonton’s current footprint reduces greenhouse gas emissions and prevents premature conversion of agricultural land in the future growth area
The City has been engaging with stakeholders to establish how to determine when the developing area is substantially complete and to define a planning approach for the future growth area so that it can be ready to welcome residents when needed. An update was presented to City Council’s Urban Planning Committee in August.
The City will conduct additional analysis and engagement to inform the substantial completion standard and is scheduled to report back to Urban Planning Committee in the spring of 2024.
To learn more, read the report or watch the committee meeting.
New Plans Proposed for Change or Retirement
Edmonton currently has over 100 geographic plans guiding how a neighbourhood or area of the city should be developed or redeveloped. However, many of these plans are dated, overly complex and no longer serve Edmonton’s long-term direction outlined in The City Plan.
The District Planning project is recommending which plans should be retired, changed (amended) or kept. Review the 2023 List of Proposed Geographic Plans to Keep, Change or Retire to find out which plan changes may affect your neighbourhood and district, or watch the overview video to learn about our review process.
Online engagement sessions will also be hosted throughout November for folks affected by plan changes. Register early today.