The War Over Upzoning Just Escalated

Cities across Canada are backing away from upzoning. After agreeing to allow fourplexes and other missing middle housing, municipalities like Calgary, Toronto, Markham, and Windsor are scaling back — or reversing — reforms altogether. What’s behind the pushback, and are YIMBYs losing the as-of-right fight?In this segment, we break down:Why cities are rejecting upzoning after agreeing to itWhat Calgary’s reversal means for housing reformWhy Edmonton is succeeding where others aren’tThe politics behind fourplex oppositionWhether provinces — not cities — should lead upzoningWhat advocates should do nextIs this just a temporary backlash, or the beginning of a broader retreat from upzoning?(Quick note from Cara: This was recorded before the first round ended. If the Oilers are already out at this release, I would like the record to show that I believed in them right up until the end, and that next year is our year!)Chapters:00:15 | The Housing Accelerator Fund and Refusal to Implement Changes01:03 | GTA Holdouts: Oakville, Markham, and Toronto02:04 | Calgary's Policy Reversal After Election03:06 | Edmonton: Getting Infill Housing Right (8 Units As-of-Right)04:11 | Debunking the Myths 06:08 | The Policy Lesson: Working to Make Changes Stick07:18 | The Path Forward: Debating Future Approaches 15:29 | Winning Hearts and Minds: Focusing on Benefits Research/links:Majority of Windsor council stands firm in fourplex decision, limits them to certain areas of the cityhttps://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/majority-of-windsor-council-stands-firm-in-fourplex-decision-limits-them-to-certain-areas-of-the-city/Fourplexes: A tale of two neighbouring communitieshttps://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2024/04/fourplexes-a-tale-of-two-neighbouring-communities2025: The year Edmonton built the missing middle https://www.jacobdawang.com/blog/2026/zbr-two-year-review/Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina MaddeauxProduced by Meredith MartinFunded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/