Join us for a candid conversation on affordable housing as we sit down with Jonathan Lay, Vice President in Projects for HomeEd. Jonathan brings a wealth of experience from his background in civil engineering to his current role in property management, where he's passionate about crafting communities that thrive. In this episode, Jonathan breaks down the complexities of affordable housing, clarifying the distinction between affordable housing and housing affordability. We delve into HomeEd's...

In this episode, listeners are invited to explore waste management and innovation with Jordan Denault, a business development manager at Underground Disposal Systems (UDS). Jordan delves into his work in the waste management industry and its intersection with infill development. The conversation spans across waste management practices in Edmonton, encompassing traditional methods and the rise of solutions like underground silos pioneered by UDS. Jordan provides an insightful overview of UDS's...

Today on In Development, we're excited to welcome Simran Malhi, Vice President of IDEA and the dynamic co-founder and CEO of Building Supply Depot. Their vision? To revolutionize the procurement of exterior building supplies, offering a seamless experience for builders, contractors, and developers. Simran shares her journey of identifying a crucial industry gap and crafting a solution that blends the meticulousness of interior design with the practicality of exterior construction. She gives...

Today, David and Melissa Campbell join In Development to discuss their award winning missing middle housing development, T5M Connect. From a sign collecting development suggestions written in sharpie to accessibility decisions and landscaping, David and Melissa share their experience building the first Passive House Certified Multi-family building in Alberta! Environmental leadership was woven through the project from design to construction, and they highlight some of the components that go...

On today’s episode, embark on a riveting journey through the heart of Edmonton's urban transformation with the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative. In this episode, hosts Allison and Lilit are joined by key figures from the City of Edmonton, Darbi Kinnee and Lyla Peter. Together they unravel the city's efforts to create zoning regulations that work for Edmonton,  the philosophy guiding the renewal, and the collaborative efforts that engaged diverse stakeholders, including IDEA. Darbi and Lyla...

Today's guest on "In Development" is Ranon Soans. In this episode, the group delves into a thought-provoking discussion on district and city planning. "Cities are complex beings that need to live and breathe," so how do we best create plans with the understanding that they will continuously need to be amended? How do we enable what we want to see without restricting what we fear, while also providing certainty to residents and the public interest? What is the optimal balance between...

Today’s guest is Nicholas Rheubottom, the Executive Director of IDEA. If you have questions about IDEA or have been interested in getting involved, this is a great episode to tune into! In this episode Nicholas gives a review on the year 2023, including some big wins for IDEA and then outlines the direction of the association for the upcoming year. He also discusses district planning, zoning bylaw, and the Infill Certification Program, along with other initiatives like BE Infill. This episode...

Check out the latest episode of "In Development" featuring Jason Cunha, where he shares his expertise on the infrastructure challenges in infill development. Jason discusses this topic through the lens of zoning bylaw renewal, as well as it applies to programs such as the Neighborhood Renewal and Infill Fire Protection. Later on in the episode Jason reflects on his term as IDEA President since May 2023, ruminating on the association's growth, new educational programming and the upcoming...

Welcome to Episode 40 of "In Development" – where urban planning meets insightful discussion! In this comeback episode, our dynamic new hosts, Lilit Houlder and Allison Rosland, bring a fresh perspective and a wealth of experience to the podcast. Join Lilit and Alison as they delve into their professional backgrounds as urban planners, sharing the twists and turns that led them to the vibrant world of IDEA. From urban landscapes to the new zoning law, these hosts have seen it all and are...

Today, Dr. Sandeep Agrawal joins In Development for a very special episode. The conversation kicks off by exploring Dr. Agrawal’s interesting journey into the Planning profession and academia. The audience learns about Dr. Agrawal’s experiences spearheading programs at two prominent Canadian universities. For the first time ever, this episode also features audience-generated questions, in which Dr. Agrawal provides his professional insight on topics such as climate, culture, equity, zoning...

In this episode, Ryan and Olivia sit down with Kristin Tollovsen to discuss the relationship between environmental sustainability and property development. In particular, the influence of embodied carbon, operational carbon and a building’s end of life on our climate. Kristin also highlights various industry resources available, such as educational programs, green building certifications, and free digital tools for builders and developers. Listen to the full episode to hear an environmental...

In this episode of In Development, Ryan and Olivia sit down with Alessandra Bruni, Principal/Owner of ChalkMark Residential. Alessandra starts by sharing about her nuanced career journey; how her strong background, passion for unique design, and experience with diverse groups of builders and developers allowed her to create a niche in the real estate industry. The conversation explores ChalkMark’s unique service offerings, and how Alessandra’s lens in marketing and communications sets...

In this special episode of In Development, Ryan and Olivia chat with Tegan Martin-Drysdale - President of RedBrick Real Estate Services, Founder of Ocheller Homes, Co-Founder of Homestead Coworking and Co-Founder of IDEA; Chelsey Jersak - Founder and Principal of Situate and Past President of IDEA’s executive board; and Mariah Samji - previous Executive Director of IDEA. In recognition of IDEA’s 10 Year Anniversary, Tegan, Chelsey and Mariah share their individual stories about IDEA’s...

In this episode of In Development, Ryan and Olivia sit down with Nancy Surby, Principal of NAKO Design - a full service interior design firm. Nancy dives into how NAKO came to be, the influences of travel and lifestyle on NAKO’s style, the company’s core values and the nuances and challenges of entrepreneurship. Nancy also provides her thoughts on infill design across Alberta and compares housing within the inner cities to those in the suburbs. Listen to the full episode to hear Nancy share...

In this episode of In Development, Ryan and Olivia chat with Travis Fong, President and Executive Director of YEGarden Suites. Travis shares about his passion for sustainability, its impact on urbanization and housing, and how YEGarden Suites came to be founded. From building for family proximity, to aging in place, to rental income, Travis dives into the main driving factors for this built form. Listen to the full episode to hear Travis outline the challenges for garden suite development,...

In this episode, Ryan and Olivia chat with Jill Lange of Ace Lange Homes. Jill shares her experience of growing up in the home-building industry and how she has seen the Ace Lange business and infill in Edmonton evolve over the years. When it comes to home-building, Jill and the rest of the Ace Lange team operate under the motto of “do it right, or not at all”, emphasizing  quality, sustainability, and strong relationships with their clients. Listen to the full episode to hear Jill’s thoughts...

In this episode, Ryan and Olivia sit down with Hon Leong to chat about all things Chinatown. Hon dives into the changes and challenges Edmonton’s Chinatown has seen over the recent years: from dwindling foot traffic and small business engagement, to advocating for a vibrant and multicultural hub for the future. Hon also discusses the sensitive topic of social disorder in this area and how he hopes “housing first” and City resources such as the Community Revitalization Levy can create positive...

In this episode, Ryan and Olivia chat with Stephen Raitz, Chair of Paths For People and Law Student at the University of Alberta. Stephen outlines the group's current advocacy work, including: active transportation for all, sustainability and equity when it comes to the public realm, and public funding for community infrastructure. Stephen also dives into how P4P is involved at the municipal level through The Bike Plan, Vision Zero Street Labs, District Plan, and Zoning Bylaw Renewal. Listen...

In this episode, Ryan sits down one on one with Olivia Fung, Principal Architect at NORR. Olivia and Ryan chat about her unique journey in architecture — from graduate school in Winnipeg, to her experiences living and working in various major cities all around the world, to her current career in Edmonton. Oliva and Ryan dive into examples of what Olivia has seen done well in the industry, the importance of having missing middle housing options, aging in place, housing tenure, and more. Listen...

In this special episode, Mariah Samji takes on the role of interviewee as she joins Ryan on ‘In Development’ one final time before going on maternity leave. Ryan and Mariah chat about all things IDEA (Infill Development in Edmonton Association): what drew her to the organization six years ago, the passionate people and mentors that have shaped her experience, organizational wins achieved over the years, and more. Mariah also details IDEA’s role as a key stakeholder for city-wide projects such...

In this episode, Mariah and Ryan chat with Andrew Laycock. They dive into the differences between EPCOR water and power distribution/transmission as business units and legal entities: how water is regulated at the municipal level, while electricity is governed by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), how the different divisions are funded, and how Alberta is unique as a deregulated province when it comes to electricity. Andrew breaks down some myths — like electrical capacity versus...

In today’s episode, Mariah and Ryan chat with Hani Barzagar, Founder and President of HIBCO and First General Edmonton. After arriving as immigrants to Canada, Hani and his siblings moved from small town Halifax to Edmonton, where he began work in the construction industry as a subcontractor. Along with his brothers, Hani founded HIBCO Construction, and expanded through the acquisition of First General Edmonton. Hani shares with Ryan and Mariah what community means to him. They speak about...

In today’s episode, Mariah and Ryan chat with Katie Warwa, Owner/Partner and Lead of Design at Urbis Infill Homes, a family-run business. Katie has worked in British Colombia and Alberta on a wide scale of infill development projects. Katie and Ryan get into the opportunities of multi-generational living that infill can provide the flexibility it gives to people to have their home grow with them. Katie also shares with them how neighbour communication is key to their projects and what tactics...

In today’s episode, Curtis Power the President of Private Mortgages at KV Capital sits down to talk to Ryan and Mariah all about how interest rates are affecting lending for infill projects. He also shares with them the benefits of both private and traditional lending options, and Ryan shares his own private lending experience. Mariah asks him about infill trends he has seen over his career in private lending and what Canadian cities may look like in the future.