Zoning Bylaw Renewal Public Engagement

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Focused research, community conversations, discussions with stakeholder groups and public engagement have been part of the Zoning Bylaw Renewal process since 2018.
View the snapshot summary .

Final Phase of Public Engagement Now Closed

From May 1 to July 30, 2023, Edmontonians were invited to share feedback on the final draft of the new Zoning Bylaw on Engaged Edmonton. View the What We Heard Report summarizing the May 2023 refine-level engagement and feedback.

An engagement summary for June 1 to July 30, 2023, will be posted by the end of September 2023.

Public Hearing Notice

City Council will consider the proposed new Edmonton Zoning Bylaw (Charter Bylaw 20001) and city-wide rezoning (Charter Bylaw 21001) at a statutory Public Hearing.

When: October 16, 2023, at 9:30am
Where: In person at City Hall’s Council Chamber or watch the live stream online

Find out how to get involved.

Get Updates

Public Engagement Timeline

See Project Timeline

Phase 4

Implement (November 2023 - January 2024)

Transitioning to the new Zoning Bylaw will involve:
- Updates to land development processes and services, and
- Thoughtfully-planned education, training and awareness opportunities for affected homeowners, applicants and others

Phase 3

Finalize (May 2023 - October 2023)

May 2023- Refine-level public engagement on the revised version of the draft Zoning Bylaw and Know Your Zone Rezoning Map. The feedback received will be used to develop the final draft of the new Zoning Bylaw and map.
June-July 2023- Advise-level public engagement on the draft Zoning Bylaw. New or previously unconsidered comments may be used to develop the final draft of the new Zoning Bylaw.
October 2023-The new Zoning Bylaw and Rezoning Map will be presented to City Council at a Statutory Public Hearing on October 16, 2023, where the public will be invited to share their opinions.
- Visit our home page to find out how to have your say.

Phase 2

Develop and Build (February 2021 - April 2023)-Complete

Writing the draft Zoning Bylaw and building associated maps and technology.
September-December 2022-Edmontonians tested the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative's approaches and provided feedback on the draft Zoning Bylaw and Know Your Zone Rezoning Map.
- Online and in-person engagement sessions including open houses, pop-up events, digital workshops and Chat with Planner sessions.
- A summary of engagement activities and results can be found in the Phase 2 What We Heard Report (12.65 MB)

Phase 1

Research (2018 - February 2021) - Complete

Phase 1 Public Engagement

2020: Community Conversations, Discussion Papers and Webinars

Community Conversations

In November 2020, conversations with community members were facilitated to explore and understand how zoning impacts Edmontonians’ daily lives. Explicit attention was given to ensure people—specifically Black, Indigenous and racialized, underrepresented and marginalized communities—were invited to participate. Read the community conversations .

Discussion Papers

The Zoning Bylaw Renewal team released a series of 12 discussion papers that explored various topics and zones and provided the early thinking and direction for the new Zoning Bylaw's regulatory framework.

The discussion papers were posted on Engaged Edmonton in July, August, and October 2020. Each month a batch of discussion papers was released along with instructions and opportunities to provide feedback. Read the What We Heard Report .

Webinars

The Zoning Bylaw Renewal team hosted a series of webinars to present some of the discussion papers to different stakeholder groups between August 7 and October 29, 2020:

Commercial and Industrial Zones and Direct Control Zones Discussion Papers
Nodes and Corridors and Climate Resilience Discussion Papers
Residential Zones and Notices and Variances Discussion Papers
Signs Discussion Papers

Feedback from the discussion paper engagements helped refine the proposed approaches on various topics for the draft Zoning Bylaw.

2019: Pop-up Events and Workshops

Pop-up Events

The Zoning Bylaw team hosted various pop-up engagement events throughout 2019, including the Downtown Quarters Farmers Market, K-Days and the Edmonton Service Centre. The team also hosted a Jane’s Walk and five joint City Plan engagement sessions city-wide.

City Plan and Zoning Bylaw Renewal Workshops

In June 2019, The City Plan and Zoning Bylaw Renewal teams hosted a series of combined workshops to help Edmontonians learn about The City Plan and upcoming Zoning Bylaw Renewal.

Deep Dive Stakeholder Workshop

On June 15, 2019, the Zoning Bylaw Renewal team hosted a Deep Dive Stakeholder Workshop to explore how the Zoning Bylaw functions and what it regulates. Participants were asked to provide input on what elements should be considered for inclusion in a new zoning bylaw.

Facilitated Workshops

Throughout 2019, the Zoning Bylaw team hosted seven facilitated workshops with various stakeholders including the Canadian Home Builders’ Association - Edmonton Region, Urban Development Institute - Edmonton Region, Infill Development in Edmonton Association, Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, small businesses and indigenous businesses, Multicultural Health Brokers, Edmonton Youth Council and the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

Online Survey

From August 12-30, the Zoning Bylaw Renewal team hosted an online survey to better understand how the existing Zoning Bylaw could be improved through different approaches. Over 185 Edmontonians participated.

2018: Engaged Edmonton Events

The Zoning Bylaw team presented information on the Zoning Bylaw Renewal project at five Engage Edmonton events (at various malls across the city) in late 2018 and received 198 comments from event attendees. The feedback was analyzed and recorded in an information report , which was presented at the April 9, 2019 Urban Planning Committee meeting.

Related Reports (2018-2021)

What We Heard Report: Public Engagement Events (2018-2019) - This report summarizes the engagement activities that led to the direction and philosophy of the new Zoning Bylaw.
City Plan Engagement Data Analysis: Zoning - This report summarizes how previous City Plan engagement data were reviewed through a zoning lens, to confirm and validate the direction and philosophy of the new Zoning Bylaw.

Visit Technical Studies and Guiding Reports for a full list of recent reports.

Phase 2 Public Engagement

2022: Draft Bylaw and Map Public Engagement

Writing the draft Zoning Bylaw and building associated maps and technology.
September-December 2022-Edmontonians tested the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative's approaches and provided feedback on the draft Zoning Bylaw and Know Your Zone Rezoning Map.
- Online and in-person engagement sessions including open houses, pop-up events, digital workshops and Chat with Planner sessions.
- A summary of engagement activities and results can be found in the Phase 2 What We Heard Report (12.65 MB)

2021-2022: Engagement Reports

Youth Engagement Report (2022) - In collaboration with Edmonton Public Schools and City Hall School, students shared ideas around land use and concepts like housing, open space and mobility through a variety of engagement activities.
Indigenous Engagement (2021) - In the fall of 2021, the City hosted a virtual round table with Indigenous organizations from across the city and three separate virtual engagement sessions with the Indigenous Memorandum of Understanding partners to share and receive ideas and perspectives to help guide the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative. The sessions and the round table served as a starting point to build relationships and foster shared understanding.
Initiative Approach Information Sessions and Workshops (2021) - The objective of these information sessions and workshops was to create project awareness and test, confirm and refine the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative’s direction and approaches. Engagement activities took place in July and July 2021 and focused on 3 specific topics, each with a range of ideas to explore: Approach to Zones, Approach to Uses and Approach to Residential Areas. Read the What We Heard Report

Engagement Resources

Educational materials were created to support Edmontonians during various public engagement sessions. These documents highlight the draft bylaw’s proposed changes and break down complex zoning-related topics.

Find the conversation starters, discussion papers and more in the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Library.

City Building Newsletters

Learn more about the projects bringing The City Plan's vision to life in our City Building newsletter archives.

For More Information

Zoning Bylaw Team

Email	zoningbylawrenewal@edmonton.ca