Missing Middle Bylaw Reform
Unlocking greater potential for
Calgary’s Missing Middle.
CivicWorks is a key industry player progressing Missing Middle Bylaw Reform in partnership with The City.
CivicWorks has shepherded hundreds of Missing Middle homes through approvals in collaboration with our architect partners. In this work, we discovered bylaw gaps that were reducing opportunities to flexibly integrate diverse housing options in Calgary’s Inner City. In order to stack units creatively, untether parking from units, and create courtyard-oriented built forms not just on corner lots but also midblock (all with the goal of providing more diverse and affordable housing options to Calgarians), we had to resort to creating bespoke Direct Control (DC) Districts for each site, with specific rules to fill gaps in the bylaw.
In order to reduce the number of time consuming DC Districts being reviewed by City Administration and coming before Council, Council created a Notice of Motion in 2022 directing Administration to reform Missing Middle Bylaw Districts in partnership with industry representatives.
The City of Calgary and Industry held a series of design-related meetings to address common issues with existing Districts. The outcome was refinements to all low and medium density Land Use Districts to create better design outcomes for more people, and the creation of a new and more flexible Missing Middle District called H-GO.
Community
Calgary, AB
Approved (2023)
Status
Similar Projects
Upper West
COCO
Ensemble
Versant