Impact
Our industry works hard to build a competitive and sustainable Edmonton Metropolitan Region that contributes mightily to the economy of our province.
From one of Canada’s biggest cities to the many mid-sized and smaller communities that serve urban and rural needs alike, BILD Edmonton Metro is constantly monitoring issues that impact our members and advocating on their behalf.
Together, with industry partners, we identify issues of impact and importance to the real estate development industry and pursue tactics to shape desired outcomes. We provide timely commentary, insight, and perspectives on a range of municipal issues and initiatives. We draft position papers and reports, and present letters to councils and administrations.
Our Board, committees, and staff have identified our top advocacy priorities to focus our efforts:
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Regional Impact
The 12 municipalities outside of Edmonton that make up the region are growing at a rapid rate, both for population and housing, as well as through the attraction of employment and investment. There is a complex interplay among and between the various counties, towns and cities, and we play a role in working collaboratively toward outcomes that enable industry and municipal success.
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Doubling Down on Downtown
The success in Edmonton’s core is critical for the success of Edmonton as a whole. Downtown is a vital hub for community, business, finance, education, professional services, culture, entertainment and government. The neighbourhood serves as a home, a place of business, and the centre for the entire region. Support for investment that will grow downtown’s population and jobs is ongoing.
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Speed to Housing
With record levels of in-migration, it is imperative that we can supply the amount of new development and building opportunities required to provide the housing and services for a growing population. This requires eliminating barriers and red tape and working collaboratively on creative solutions for getting approvals faster.
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Investment and Innovation
Funding growth adequately and using tools that are transparent and fair is important, but thinking outside the box to come up with new ideas is the next step to ensure we are competitive and financially sustainable. We need growth in our economy as well as our population and housing stock.
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Policy Pile-Up
The layers of municipal and utility provider policy and requirements have grown over time. Our industry finds itself in a regulatory environment where multiple teams may be required to provide advice on how to successfully get approvals for projects. Often, disagreements about which policy priority should take precedence over another within city administration and other regulatory agencies leads to delays. More work to dismantle overly complex regulations for development must take place.