Calgary council votes today on new rowhousing limits in six community plans

Calgary City Council holds a public hearing on Monday, November 9, to vote on a closely watched housing policy: whether to add consistent Limited Scale Policies to six approved local area plans, tightening where three-or-more-unit housing can be built in lower-density residential areas. Residents can speak through the public hearing process, and council will make the final decision at the meeting.

What the proposal would change

Under the proposal, if approved, building forms with three or more residential units — such as rowhouses and townhouses — in areas designated Neighbourhood Local–Limited would only be supported on parcels that have a rear lane (alley) and also meet one of four conditions: being within a transit station area core or transition zone; along or adjacent to an identified main street; on a corner parcel; or adjacent to a school, park or open space larger than 0.5 hectares.

The proposal also requires such buildings to be designed to complement the surrounding context, considering impacts on sunlight and shade for neighbouring parcels and the protection of existing healthy trees or landscaping.

Six local area plans tightened at once

The amendments cover six approved local area plans: North Hill Communities, East Calgary International Avenue Communities, Riley Communities, Chinook Communities, South Shaganappi Communities and West Elbow Communities. The Westbrook Communities and Heritage Communities plans already contain the same policies, in effect since those plans were approved in 2023, and are not being amended; the North Hill plan already has Limited Scale Policies, but a looser version that the update would tighten.

Single-detached homes and approved projects unaffected

The city stresses that single-detached and semi-detached homes will continue to be allowed in all residential areas, and developments already approved can proceed as planned, with no retroactive effect. In areas outside the Neighbourhood Local–Limited zones, three-or-more-unit homes could still be supported if the land use district allows.

A response to the repeal of blanket rezoning

The changes were directed by council at its regular meeting on May 26, 2026, after the repeal of citywide (blanket) rezoning, with council asking that six of the eight approved local area plans be updated to align the Limited Scale Policies. The city explains that although blanket rezoning was repealed, landowners can still apply at any time to change the zoning of their property; most local area plans currently support three-or-more-unit housing in all residential areas, so an application for rowhouses in the middle of a single-detached area would be supported under existing policy. Under the new policies, administration would recommend refusal for applications that do not align, with council making the final decision at a public hearing.

The city says it is not conducting new public engagement on the change, running an awareness campaign only, because engagement was already carried out through the local area planning process, the rezoning and repeal public hearings, and the Guide for Small Scale Housing. Residents can still take part in today's public hearing.