Population and Housing

[danbrotherston]

Haha...ahh...that's cute.

I mean, the reason why zoning is restrictive is because people with power want it that way. Even if we managed to change the rules, people with power aren't going to shut up about it....and they certainly aren't going to let the lack of rules stop them from getting their way.

OK, I’m being a bit flippant, and I recognize that we’re pretty far from passing reasonable zoning reform, but right now these issues keep coming up because developers need to ask for exceptions or adjustments to the existing zoning rules. Most of the opportunity to stop a development comes from convincing Council not to approve the adjustments.

How can a development be stopped which falls entirely within zoning? For example, if I want to knock down my house and build another single-family house on the site meeting all the modern setback rules and so on, I’m pretty sure I just submit a building permit application to the City, which checks that it meets all the zoning requirements and issues the permit. Is there even any public notice before the permit is issued? The first hint the neighbours would have would be survey stakes, followed a week or two later by a backhoe showing up and digging a big hole.

If you’re saying that getting the zoning revised would be really really hard, then … you’re right!

I wouldn't say it's impossible, I'd not even say it's hard for those with means. Lawsuits, injunctions, petitions to council, wealthy people have a large number of options for opposing these things. Maybe they wouldn't stop every project, but they could still make it more expensive, and more difficult.

What we really need is a few major culture shifts. It needs to be seen as a bad thing to do to try and exclude people from your neighbourhood. It needs to be seen as a bad thing to exclude people from our roads. I don't know how to achieve culture change, certainly progress is a great way to do it, but until we do, those with means will continue to exert their will on others, even in the face of progress removing those barriers.

I'm not saying that removing zoning wouldn't significantly increase the cost and effort required for these objections. I think it's a good thing to achieve, it would be progress, but it's no panacea.