Managing the boom: Can inclusionary zoning work in Alberta

Whether the oil sands of the Municipal District of Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray), or one of North America's largest meat packing plants in Brooks, or the office towers in the City of Calgary, the Province of Alberta has been in the midst of an economic boom since the late twentieth century due to the continued prosperity of its main natural resource: oil. Unfortunately, not all the residents of the province are able to "cash-in" on this boom. Local municipalities and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association have identified, and are acting on the need to provide affordable housing to low-income earners. However, such an endeavour will be overwhelming if the traditional planning authority of local governments granted through the Municipal Government Act is not amended. This thesis presents the assertion that the provision of inclusionary zoning powers to Alberta municipalities will allow for a substantial increase in the total number of affordable housing units constructed each year.; Inclusionary zoning is a specific planning authority that local municipalities can employ to require new developments to construct a set percentage (typically 10-15 percent) of the resulting housing units, whether a subdivision or a high-rise condominium, as affordable to a set income group in the community based on a comprehensive housing needs assessment.; Research in this thesis examines the history of inclusionary zoning in North America, specifically the United States of America, and the success of this planning program in providing affordable housing. Seven main requirements that Alberta municipalities must consider in the development of inclusionary zoning are detailed, with the protection of local flexibility in developing this planning authority identified as a key theme. Amendments to the Municipal Government Act are then recommended with the intent of creating a municipal planning environment conducive to the development of affordable housing in the Province of Alberta.