Calgary Rezoning for Housing: What the Data Tells Us

As Calgary continues to grow and evolve, rezoning for housing has become a critical topic for discussion. The city faces increasing pressure to accommodate more people in limited spaces while balancing community needs, such as green spaces, schools, and parking. Our team at DataPost, in collaboration with DataforGood YYC, worked on a micro-project to provide data-driven insights on rezoning and its potential impacts.

We divided our team into four groups, each tasked with analyzing specific aspects of Calgary’s communities: demographics, green spaces, parking, and school enrollment. Below, we’ll share the most important findings from each group’s analysis to help inform residents and guide conversations around rezoning.

Demographics: Shifting Population and Housing Needs

Our analysis of Calgary’s demographics revealed important patterns related to population density and housing types. Communities in Calgary’s Northeast tend to have larger households, while neighborhoods closer to the inner city show fewer people per household. This suggests that some areas are more densely populated, with a higher demand for housing, particularly where overcrowding is a concern.

We also found that younger families, seeking affordable homes, tend to live farther from the downtown core. Over time, starter homes closer to the inner city have become less affordable, pushing many young families to the outskirts. In the inner city, there is a noticeable scarcity of housing options beyond single-family homes. Duplexes and townhouses are rare, despite the increasing need for more diverse housing types.

This data highlights the need for strategic rezoning. Encouraging the development of duplexes and townhouses in certain neighborhoods can create more housing options that better meet the needs of Calgary’s growing population.

Green Spaces: Unequal Access Across the City

Access to green spaces varies dramatically across Calgary. For example, Discovery Ridge in the southwest boasts 204 hectares of green space, including Griffith Woods, with a relatively low population density. In contrast, areas like Lower Mount Royal and the downtown core have some of the highest population densities in the city but lack adequate green spaces. The Beltline’s largest park, Central Memorial Park, is just two hectares, while other sub-neighborhood parks total only seven hectares.

Communities with lower population density and ample green space, such as Wildwood and Diamond Cove, provide a high park-to-person ratio, offering a better quality of life. Meanwhile, high-density areas like Manchester and Rosemont, with fewer green spaces, could benefit from rezoning efforts that prioritize park development alongside housing.

These findings highlight the importance of ensuring that, as Calgary grows, access to green spaces remains a priority. Incorporating parks into new developments will help create livable, vibrant communities for all residents.

Parking: A Missing Piece

One challenge we encountered was the lack of sufficient open data on parking. Despite its importance to residents, there wasn’t enough available data to form concrete conclusions about parking trends or needs in different neighborhoods. We encourage the City of Calgary to improve transparency and provide more data on parking to help ensure that future rezoning plans address concerns about parking availability and traffic flow.

School Enrollment: Disparities Across the City

Our analysis of school enrollment uncovered significant disparities between the number of school-aged children and actual student enrollment in certain wards. In Calgary’s far north and far south, particularly in Wards 4 and 11, enrollment numbers exceed the local school-age population, indicating that students are traveling from other areas to attend these schools.

This imbalance suggests that rezoning should take school capacity into account. Building more housing in areas with underutilized schools could relieve pressure on overcrowded schools and create a better balance between residential development and educational infrastructure.

We used reliable data from the following sources to gather these insights:

• City of Calgary Open Data Portal

• City of Calgary Community Profiles

• Calgary Board of Education

• City of Calgary Maps

These sources helped us analyze key aspects like demographics, green spaces, and school enrollment, which are essential for understanding Calgary’s urban landscape.

Policy Recommendations

Based on our findings, we believe the City of Calgary should take the following steps:

1. Encourage diverse housing options in inner-city neighborhoods to meet the needs of smaller households and young families.

2. Prioritize green space development in high-density areas like Lower Mount Royal and the Beltline.

3. Improve transparency and data accessibility on parking trends to ensure that new developments don’t strain existing infrastructure.

4. Align school capacity with residential growth by rezoning areas where schools are underutilized or overcrowded.

Call to Action

As citizens, your voice is crucial in shaping the future of your community. Urban development and rezoning not only affect housing but also impact the overall quality of life in your neighborhood—everything from green spaces to schools and transportation is at stake. By staying informed and actively participating in public discussions, you can influence the way your community grows. Attend city council meetings, engage with local representatives, and provide feedback on proposed developments. Your input can help ensure that growth is both thoughtful and balanced, meeting the needs of all residents.

At DataPost, our mission is to help residents become informed, engaged, and proactive citizens. Together, we can work toward a Calgary that is livable, sustainable, and welcoming for everyone.

Stay informed. Get involved. Shape your city’s future!

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Behnaz Hosseini

DataPost