Calgary Upzoning: Council scraps controversial housing plan

[CALGARY, AB] — Calgary City Council voted 12-3 on Wednesday to repeal the city's blanket upzoning policy, a dramatic reversal on one of the most contested housing files in recent memory.

The Vote That Rewrites the Zoning Map

The margin wasn't close. Twelve councillors voted to roll back blanket upzoning, with only three dissenting. According to Ward 13 Councillor Dan McLean, posting on X, he was among the majority — and he came prepared with a case.

In his post, McLean laid out why he voted to repeal and what he believes needs to happen next to build homes faster and more affordably in Calgary. The specifics of his proposed path forward are attached to the thread.

Why This Is Bigger Than a Zoning Tweak

Blanket upzoning — the policy that allowed higher-density development across broad swaths of the city without individual rezoning applications — was sold to Calgarians as a fast lane to more housing supply. Critics argued it was a blunt instrument that handed developers latitude without guaranteeing affordability or neighbourhood fit.

Today's vote suggests a clear majority on Council has landed on the "critics were right" side of that argument. A 12-3 outcome is not a squeaker. That's a mandate.

What it means on the ground is still unfolding. Blanket upzoning had been a live policy shaping development applications across the city. Repealing it doesn't freeze construction, but it does change the rules of engagement for any project that was banking on that permissive framework.

The Open Question on Affordability

Here's the tension nobody has cleanly resolved: Calgary's housing affordability crisis didn't create itself, and restrictive zoning has historically been part of the problem. Repealing blanket upzoning without a credible replacement plan risks trading one set of problems for another.

McLean acknowledged as much, signalling that the repeal needs to come paired with a concrete strategy. What that strategy looks like — and whether Council can agree on one — is the story that comes next.

Twelve votes to tear something down is the easy part. Twelve votes to build something better is a different ask entirely.