iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Jacob Loo Dawang

Tim Querengesser @timquerengesser.bsky.social · 10h

The built form fighting gentle-density infill creates.

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Kathryn Davies @kaphryn.bsky.social · 12h

Apropos of relatively little, It’s been a while since I posted this…

Venn diagram showing that the overlap of stable services and low density and low taxes does not exist.

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Damien Moule @damienmoule.bsky.social · 12h

I keep hearing councillors go on Toronto the Politics the Show to tout the achievements of Toronto Builds rather than express concern that it and its precursors have yet to build a single unit of affordable housing after 7 years and this needs focused council attention. I am confused.

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Grow Together Edmonton @growtogetheryeg.bsky.social · 21h

In Edmonton, our zoning bylaw has enabled thousands of homes in our central neighbourhoods, with relatively little redevelopment. Despite exagerations about ruining the neighbourhood from anti-infill groups, only a sliver of all properties in the small-scale residential zone have been redeveloped.

Line chart showing homes permitted by neighbourhood type and project type from H1 building permits, 2009-2026

Stacked bar chart showing RS Zone redevelopment in Edmonton from Jan 2024 to Sep 2026. Three bars represent 2024 (0.45%), 2025 (1.07%), and 2026 (1.55%) redevelopment rates against ~140,000 total RS-zoned properties. Dark navy dominates each bar (not redeveloped), with thin colored segments above showing project types: single detached, addition/conversion, backyard house, duplex to fourplex, fiveplex to eightplex, 9+ row house, and 9+ apartment. Data from Jacob Dawang, City of Edmonton Open Data.

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Kevin Erdmann @kevinerdmann.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

More discussion on affordability vs. quality of life. Affordability is inseperable from filtering. We can't make housing more affordable by insisting on only building less valuable homes. It can't happen. 1/ Filtering is affordability is filtering kevinerdmann.substack.com/p/filtering-...

kevinerdmann.substack.com

Filtering is affordability is filtering

In the previous post, I used a recent post from Charles Marohn at Strong Towns as a framework to discuss errors in the canon about 21st century housing markets.

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Edmonton Bike Coalition @yegbike.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Fun fact, there are 43km of bike lanes. The rest are wide sidewalks, just as dangerous as the sidewalks they argue are too dangerous to bike on.

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Keaton H @keaton-hawk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#yegbike Fun facts told at council: 1) we have 780 kms of bike lanes 2) all missing links will be closed in the next budget cycle Unfortunately these are both lies. @apaquette.bsky.social estimates we have 41 kms of bike lanes and ATNE team cancelled many missing link projects

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Eric Lombardi (EricForOLP.ca) @ericlombardi.ca · 29/09/2026

My competitors will say things that sound nice but say nothing. I am the only candidate that has put forward an actual plan.

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Eric Lombardi (EricForOLP.ca) @ericlombardi.ca · 29/09/2026

We cannot have more leaders who serve word salad and a side of sloppy short-term thinking. Our next leader needs to take risks and offer a better vision for the future of Ontario if we're going to win.

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Kevin Wilson @kwilsonhfx.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The theoretical upside of more small C conservative governments is that they're less prone to stifling over-regulation (e.g., see Texas beating California on renewable energy deployment) There aren't enough votes in that direction in Canada, so mostly we get populist slop from all directions.

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Deny Sullivan @denysullivan.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Weak shit from a libertarian Premier. Alberta is falling, less obtrusive government, but a couple talk radio calls from angry seniors and we’re caving

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Colleen @cbailey6.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Finally, a Premier with the courage to ask: do people really need housing *in* the cities where their jobs are? Why not simply commute for three hours a day so that Christine can continue to imagine she lives in a small village?

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Phil @philmarfisi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Clinically unhinged to even cater to the anti-small infill crowd in the city where your legislature is based. Edmonton has a lot of nice things that are underappreciated but what people know further east right now is Edmonton = attainable housing. It's a huge competitive advantage.

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Grow Together Edmonton @growtogetheryeg.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Edmonton's small-scale infill has led to thousands of homes built for in the places people want to live, millions of dollars invested in this province, and a stable demand for construction jobs. We don't need the province making it harder to build homes. Freedom to build: that's the Alberta way.

Christine called ☎️ in about the infills going up in her community. She is not the only one.

Edmontonians have been telling me the same thing for weeks.

I am listening. Would appreciate seeing your comments below from folks who live in Edmonton. What do you think about infill and blanket rezoning?

"Stacked area chart showing H1 building permits issued in Edmonton from 2009 to 2026, broken down by four neighborhood types (Downtown, Mature, Between Mature and Henday, and Outside Henday) and seven project types (Single detached, Addition/Conversion, Backyard House, Duplex to Fourplex, Fiveplex to Eightplex, 9+ Row House, and 9+ Apartment). Downtown shows minimal permits throughout the period. Mature neighborhoods peak at over 3,000 permits in 2024, dominated by single-detached homes. Between Mature and Henday and Outside Henday neighborhoods show more volatile trends, with Outside Henday reaching nearly 4,000 permits in 2023. Single-detached homes (dark purple) comprise the largest share across most neighborhoods and years, while apartment and row house projects (orange tones) remain a smaller but consistent portion.

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Eric Lombardi (EricForOLP.ca) @ericlombardi.ca · 25/09/2026

It's time to end Ontario's era of "Tall and Sprawl". Our archaic building code rules have resulted in housing that is uglier, more expensive, and with fewer units that make sense for families. By changing the rules, we can build communities more beautifully and affordably.

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Steve Lafleur @stevelafleur.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Let's assume this couple's home appreciated by a million dollars over the past 50 years (honestly, conservative). Their home has essentially earned 20k annually because it's in a growing city. Growth comes with tradeoffs for residents, but they *are* getting paid for it.

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Deny Sullivan @denysullivan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

At some point you need to ask whether the petty complaints of seniors are worthy of publishing. Like, this is fodder for thanksgiving dinner talk, not the CBC, and surely not a pressing matter of government

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Colleen @cbailey6.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

They're tearing down four existing apartment buildings on my street, the largest of which is 12 storeys, because the OP puts growth here. But this couple downtown might not be able to live next to a bungalow in Canada's largest city forever. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

cbc.ca

Toronto needs more homes. These neighbours say they're paying the price | CBC News

An elderly downtown couple says they’re shocked and upset that the city has approved a duplex next door to their three-story Victorian home that they say will tower metres above their chimney and rend...

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Eric Lombardi (EricForOLP.ca) @ericlombardi.ca · 24/09/2026

When it comes to housing, we have to do the big things.

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John Michael McGrath @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

We let national immigration policy be thwarted by the median council votes in Toronto and Vancouver and it's nuts to me that's not how this is understood.

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Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 23/09/2026

Every time I visit Toronto, some slow zone between glencairn and Wilson seems to return. How can this be possible? What were the years of overnight and weekend closures for?

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Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 23/09/2026

Guy who has never been to New York City or the San Francisco Bay Area: rich people would NEVER move into modest homes built for the middle class.

Strong Towns screenshot: The household purchasing a luxury condominium was never going to occupy a 500-square-foot starter home. Building that starter home does not require waiting for anything to filter down. It creates the missing product directly.

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Damien Moule @damienmoule.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The Toronto Builds framework from this past term was an attempt to increase the affordability requirement on city lead projects with a stubborn incuriosity about whether any units got built (they did not). I'm going to treat proposals for "real affordability" as continuing this storied tradition.

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Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 22/09/2026

With respect, if this is the extent of housing supply policies, Toronto council is so cooked. It's like a throwback to the 2010s where the same ignorance of supply created the housing crisis. Toronto needs a new plan for the future and it has to include, but be more than affordable housing.

More affordable housing, built faster and community-owned.

Expand resources to community land trusts, non-profit and supportive housing, and require real affordability in new development on public land.
Prioritize all Ward 11 development applications that include affordable housing.
Use available funding and financial incentives as a means for achieving policy objectives, including family-size units, in addition to affordability.

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Colleen @cbailey6.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

A number of good ideas but I want councillors to admit that the Official Plan plays a big role here. Too many councillors are content to pretend our development patterns are a law of nature. No. They are a result of not being able to build apartments in half the city. Let's redo the plan.

Educate renters and ensure compliance to Rental Renovation License Bylaw.
Secure fair compensation for rental replacement.

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Grow Together Edmonton @growtogetheryeg.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Rowhomes for young families in the places they want to live - that's what Edmonton's infill policy is delivering. #yeg #yegcc #yimby

Infill rowhome in hazeldean. A kid plays in the grass while a parent sits on the steps.

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Push The Needle @pushtheneedle.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

It’s amazing what’s possible when you abolish zoning and height limits in a city. They’ll try to scare you claiming you’ll live next to a concrete plant, but the reality is the land is worth too much so instead you get a vibrant community and a tax base for the city’s economy

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Andrew. @g026r.leftblank.org · 20/09/2026

Canadian federalism is the provinces blaming Ottawa for things the provinces are responsible for and trusting that the voters won't know that

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Peter Waldkirch 華彼德 @pwaldkirch.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The defeat of Vancouver’s Villages Plan is a major setback for addressing our housing crisis and appears to mark the end of the Vancouver Plan, which has been the main focus of our planning department since 2018. Read more in my first piece for Sightline!

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Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 18/09/2026

Privatizing the 407 was one of the best decisions in Ontario history. If left public, a premier like Doug Ford would have removed tolls on it, subsidizing car travel even more and having it get just as congested as the 401. I'd rather drivers pay for their use of roads.

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Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 18/09/2026

Part of the story is not just the outcome of lowest rent among major Canadian cities, but also the how and where. Through zoning reform, we're adding more homes in central mature neighbourhoods, near transit.

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Andrew Knack @andrewknack.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Edmonton didn't become Canada's most affordable major city by accident. Over the past decade, Council streamlined permitting, updated zoning, enabled mixed-use builds, and cut parking minimums. As we grow toward 2 million, affordability ensures Edmonton remains a city where we can all thrive.

The image shows a map of Canada, blue against a cream background. Dark purple text reads: Statistics Canada confirms Edmonton has the lowest two-bedroom asking rents among major Canadian cities. Source: Statistics Canada,
Quarterly Rent Statistics, Q2 2026. Across the map, different colours identify cities, along with the price of 2-bedroom apartments in each. Vancouver: $3030, Calgary: $1890, Edmonton: $1570, Winnipeg: $1660, Toronto: $2.650, Montreal: $1820, Ottowa-Gatineau - Ontario Part: $2360 and Halifax $2400.

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Damien Moule @damienmoule.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

One thing we've tried to emphasize at @moreneighboursto.bsky.social is Toronto is doing *neither* well. We aren't allowing enough private housing and we are making our affordable housing slow and expensive through our own processes (Housing Now still has produced 0 units in 7 years).

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Keaton H @keaton-hawk.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

An example of why we can’t have nice things. A handful of seniors who want to drive as fast as possible force concessions from an affordable housing developer. Council then puts the project on hold “for months”. An abandoned building <1km from the LRT is the right place for housing.

youtu.be

Calgarians push back on Erlton affordable housing proposal

YouTube video by CBC News Alberta

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Deny Sullivan @denysullivan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

New blog! about ottawa & transit deny.substack.com/p/death-of-a...

deny.substack.com

Death of a Transit System

Ottawa botched a shift to rail

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Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 17/09/2026

I wrote an essay on how Edmonton seems to be an exception when it comes to good housing policy. In 2025, when housing progress stalled or reversed across Canada, Edmonton largely stayed the course. It took time, good leadership, data and a bit of luck. Read now 👇 2067journal.ca/the-edmonton...

2067journal.ca

The Edmonton Exception

I moved to Edmonton in 2023, along with 100,000 others in two years, in the middle of a housing crisis engulfing much of Canada. It was a good year to be a housing advocate. Governments at every level...

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Colleen @cbailey6.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I support housing, which you can tell from all of the meetings that I show up at to oppose housing where I start by saying that I support housing.

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Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 14/09/2026

The number one sign that someone's against infill is when they start their posts/speeches/rants by saying "I am NOT against infill".

Post by Mark hillman on Facebook.

It's time for the Province to step in on Edmonton's infill mess.

Let me be crystal clear up front: I am NOT against infill. Responsible, thoughtful, and truly affordable infill has a place in a growing city like Edmonton. What I am against is what our city council is currently rubber-stamping — and calling it either "responsible" or "affordable" is a stretch neither honesty nor the numbers can support.

Consider what's actually happening on the ground:

At one single intersection near a recent protest site, the city is allowing SEVEN eightplexes to be built. Seven. On one intersection.

For most Edmontonians, their home isn't just where they live, it's their single largest investment and their retirement plan. Council's current "steamroller" approach isn't just changing neighborhood character; it's quietly stripping tens of thousands of dollars out of the pockets of the very homeowners who built these communities in the first place.

A new group, that I am proud to be on the board for, the Edmonton Infill Action Campaign, isn't trying to stop all infill. We are pushing back on the behemoths being approved at breakneck speed with little regard for the people already living next door. We are asking Premier Danielle Smith and the ministers of Municipal Affairs, Transportation, Environment, Infrastructure, and Public Safety to use the powers granted under the Municipal Government Act to make sure Edmonton is actually following the rules.

when a council becomes deliberately deaf to the citizens who elected them, when they treat densification like a religion instead of a policy, the province stepping in to enforce the rules is not overreach. It's accountability.

Homeowners deserve a seat at the table. Neighborhoods deserve a say in their future. And Edmonton deserves an infill strategy that is genuinely responsible AND genuinely affordable, not the current free-for-all being sold to us under those labels.

What do you think?

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Coprolithic 💩🪨🗺️ @coprolithic.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

My belated #yegdt hot take is that it actually isn't that bad. It has problems, but they're long-running ones that go back decades. Claims that it's broken are very overwrought, and worth a side-eye; it's generally been getting better. And no, it's not because of the hockey thingy. 1/lots w/ maps!

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Damien Moule @damienmoule.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

This is the escalating application of building code brain to Toronto's transit ops. "Well logically having the bus slow down around stations and lights is safer so we'll just do that. No, we didn't estimate benefits, costs, or consider adverse consequences, why do you ask?"

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John Michael McGrath @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

One of the things that I've said before on the podcast and will say again is that aside from everything else, there are things that ought to be beneath the notice of the provincial government. You make law for 16 million people and you're whining about bike lanes! www.thestar.com/news/gta/dou...

thestar.com

Doug Ford’s government rejected Toronto’s proposals to restore traffic lanes and keep bike lanes: sources

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says the province walked away from compromises to restore traffic lanes while keeping bike lanes on major streets.

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Cycle Toronto @cycletoronto.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Ford walked away from an offer to restore travel lanes and keep bike lanes. The RFP makes clear that the province is still targeting EVERY SINGLE METRE of Bloor, Yonge, and University. This wasn't just a ploy to remove bike lanes in Etobicoke. It's an attempt to gut Toronto's entire cycling network.

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M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Any given specific NIMBY argument—about infrastructure capacity, or home values, or aesthetics—is nearly always just a shell game masking generalized opposition to anything changing, and which is why it's a waste of time to engage with NIMBYs on details.

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Peter Waldkirch 華彼德 @pwaldkirch.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Glad to have had the opportunity to say this: Pete Fry would be a bad mayor. I believe in judging politicians on their record, not their vague vibes. And Fry's record on housing, active transportation, and more is BAD. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

“Whether you want to look at it as status quo-oriented or as conflict-averse, Fry is a person who, judging him by his actual voting record, has time and time refused to take bold stances on really anything,” argued Peter Waldkirch, a housing advocate and longtime critic of Fry.

Waldkirch ran for a OneCity council nomination this year, and stressed he was only representing himself in his characterization.

At the same time, his argument mirrored what many OneCity supporters have said both on social media and off the record: that Fry doesn’t support building enough new housing — his opposition to the defeated Villages Plan the most recent example — and isn’t decisive enough on big issues to earn their support.

“Time and time again, Pete Fry has been a vote against housing, against bike lanes, and for the status quo,” said Waldkirch.

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Eric Lombardi (EricForOLP.ca) @ericlombardi.ca · 03/09/2026

You don’t have to sit on the sidelines and hope I win the Ontario Liberal Leadership. If you’re 14+ and live in Ontario, you can help make it happen. I’m the only option offering an ambitious future for Ontario, and the only one who can break Doug Ford’s coalition. Sign up at ericforolp.ca/join

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Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 01/09/2026

90% of the bike lanes Ford plans to remove were built by John Tory's administration.

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Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

It kills me that he still talks about putting bike lanes on “secondary roads” when those secondary roads *do not exist* in Toronto’s street grid (for the most part), Nothing replaces Bloor, Yonge, etc. Feels like a brutish power move, like he’s saying “I’ll kick you in the face and lie about it”.

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