General Infill Discussion

[Greenspace]

I love the idea of cottage courtyards, new owners, seniors etc. Sense of community without shared walls. But it can be tricker to build. You still need all the commercial stuff an apartment does - storm sewer etc, But it's always something I thought would be great if developed correctly.

 

[policyenthusiast]

I love the idea of cottage courtyards, new owners, seniors etc. Sense of community without shared walls. But it can be tricker to build. You still need all the commercial stuff an apartment does - storm sewer etc, But it's always something I thought would be great if developed correctly.

100%. The good thing about building this in a condominium structure instead of fee simple is that you could still have common sewer, electrical, etc. infrastructure which is highly accessible through the shared courtyard infrastructure.

You then have Condominium Property Act obligations, but I think the tradeoff is worth it for most people.

 

[northlands]

I like the idea of these homes as well and I'd like to think there are more than a few people who would like to downsize out of their detached SFH into something more 'multifamily', but simply don't want to share a wall or have neighbours above that could cause a lot of noise disturbance. My partner works a lot of night shifts, and even in concrete buildings noise transfer between units has been an ongoing sore spot for us.

Beyond that: even if that style of development takes say, two existing homes and makes it into five or six homes, is that not still a win? Not every lot needs to replace four bungalows for a 280 unit apartment building or even one house for an 8plex.

 

[IanO]

BILD Edmonton just released their Infill Priority Action plan.

Full link:

https://www.bildedmonton.com/wp-content/uploads/BILD_InfillPriorityActionsIPA.pdf

 

[policyenthusiast]

BILD Edmonton just released their Infill Priority Action plan.

Full link:

https://www.bildedmonton.com/wp-content/uploads/BILD_InfillPriorityActionsIPA.pdf

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I went to BILD's "Future of Infill" luncheon today, surprisingly this was barely mentioned. Also in the "Long-term", having "Evaluate the performance of infill-specific regulations in the Zoning Bylaw (e.g. Cluster Housing) to determine effectiveness and identify potential improvements" feels like a larger project than the rest, and perhaps is the most urgent.

Still, a solid base platform to build from.

 

[TAS]

Went for a walk through part of Ritchie yesterday and counted 4 very large infills that were all single family homes. Was a bit surprising.

Of note in the latest Oh The Urbanity YouTube release, it was shared that 80% of Canadian households are 3 people or less. Seems like the higher density infill we're seeing in neighbourhoods with smaller square footage per unit is a good fit for that stat.

 

[ntt1]

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Before:

 

[TAS]

I did a bike ride through Prince Charles Community today. A lot of quite nice infill - 8 unit midblock and on the corners.

Some more reputable builders like Bloc 53, House of Modernity and Platinum Living Homes.

 

[TAS]

More Prince Charles

 

[TAS]

Prince Charles

I really like this mid block 8 plex from House of Modernity. The two middle doors lead right to stairs for a unit that takes the 2nd and 3rd floor. Then another unit is on main floor and basement. All 8 units get a lot of light.

 

[thommyjo]

A lot of these 3 story projects look great on their own or next to each other, but I totally get the pushback from neighbours. It’s tough.

For the old bungalows, I’m less sympathetic as they’ll likely get better return from a large infill vs what they would have got 6 years ago for their lot.

But for any newer homes that might be bungalows, certain setbacks or yard orientations, or even styles, the aggressiveness of current infill is challenging.

 

[policyenthusiast]

There's a beautiful infill structure framed in Glenwood right now, with a big circular window. I will try to get a photo later today.