Rodney McDonald

The federal government is calling on multidisciplinary design teams from across Canada to submit proposals for the inaugural Housing Design Catalogue. By embracing innovative approaches to increase Canada’s housing supply, the federal government is transforming the way homes are built in communities nationwide. Supported by Budget 2024 under Canada’s Housing Plan, the new Housing Design Catalogue will offer standardized housing designs to streamline the design, approval, and construction processes while promoting new and advanced construction techniques. The catalogue will feature various housing types, beginning with low-rise structures such as accessory dwelling units, multiplexes, and other small- to medium-sized buildings. It will also explore opportunities for higher density constructions, including mid-rise buildings, and incorporate new methods like modular and prefabricated homes. Starting in January 2024, the Government of Canada engaged with industry professionals, technical experts, homebuilders, non-profit housing providers, and all levels of government to gather insights on the designs, features, and amenities to be included in the catalogue. These discussions also focused on the catalogue’s adoption and implementation across different regions in the country. The insights from these engagements are summarized in the Housing Design Catalogue – What We Heard Report, which highlights the key points that will guide the government's next steps.

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LANGLEY CITY DEVELOPMENT NEWS At the July 8th council meeting, Mayor and Council gave Final Reading to the revised DCC bylaw, solidifying the increase to rates at more than double the current rates. In-stream applications will now have 12 months, from July 8th, to pull building permits if they want to avoid the new fees. The new rates for residential are as follows: - Single Family: $45,563 per lot (up from $18,406) - Townhouse: $32,683 per unit (up from $14,503) - Apartment: $21,246 per unit (up from $9,549) The lower rates used to be a draw for developers, compared to the rates charged in the Township of Langley or Surrey. I imagine we’ll see a push to beat the deadline on the grace period for in-stream applications. Thankfully the City of Langley is still one of the faster municipalities for application processing times so many will make it through but increases of this magnitude have a history of stalling land transactions by creating an instant gap between seller’s price expectations and what buyers can now afford to pay. Consequently, fewer transactions means fewer new development applications and delayed supply of new housing. DCCs need to keep up with inflation and the rising cost of infrastructure but the increases are less damaging when phased in over multiple years.

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Great read from CBRE Canada on the importance of ESG in Commercial Real Estate and the impact on the value of property. “It’s something that a few years ago was a nice to have […]. Today it’s a must-have” “Landlords of buildings need to acknowledge the humans using them and how those people interact with the space. It’s not just about a high-performing sustainable box. It’s about a humanistic approach to the built environment.” “Owners were focused more on what they could expect to get in rent by getting their assets LEED-certified. That’s how we’re looking at ESG now and that’s the wrong way to look at it. Ultimately, do you want to own a portfolio that is economically obsolete, or a portfolio that will remain competitive for the next two decades? That is the real question.” #ESG #CRE Paul Morassutti #meltingicecube

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TOWNSHIP OF LANGLEY DEVELOPMENT NEWS The vision of Willoughby’s 200 Street 2040 Corridor Plan was presented to Mayor and council at today’s council meeting but decisions were deferred to September to provide more time to review the documents. There’s a lot of density in this new plan and the implications are big. Skip to page 9 and 10 to see the proposed densities and building heights. EDIT: the Community Amenity Contributions in the proposed plan are quite civilized, closely following the Township’s existing CAC policy. Each density category in the new plan is given both a base density and a maximum density to which the Township’s current CAC rates will be applied. The bonus density CAC is charged on density above the plan’s base density.

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Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada | Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada has launched a consultation for ideas “on accelerating innovation and productivity in Canada's homebuilding industry.” The consultation will work with stakeholders from the construction sector, plus academics, community leaders and the public, through themed roundtables to develop new ideas on how to address Canada’s persistent housing issues. https://lnkd.in/gPg-cDz6

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City Building: ‘Condominiumizing’ land developments "Redefining the concept of condominiums for stakeholders that its approach is being applied to major, mixed-use projects in Ottawa and other municipalities." https://lnkd.in/eu3xH5pe #condoland #condomanagement #condobusiness #condosales #condodevelopment

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🌍 Join the Conversation on the Canadian Green Building Strategy! 🏠 The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act enshrines in legislation the Government of Canada’s commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Canadian Green Building Strategy is set to transform buildings, reduce emissions, and boost sustainability across the country. We want to hear from you! Join our forum discussion to dive deep into the strategy, share your insights, and collaborate on innovative solutions. https://lnkd.in/e6K9Ryf5 #GreenBuilding #Sustainability #ClimateAction #CGBS #NetZero #Innovation

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Betsy Agar, director of the Buildings program at the Pembina Institute, made this statement following the release of the Canada Green Buildings Strategy today: "Today’s launch of Canada's Green Buildings Strategy is an important step for achieving affordable, reliable, climate-safe homes. Over the past several years, the Pembina Institute has worked closely with all orders of government and across sectors to ensure the right policies and regulations are in place to best support the Canadian building sector to meet their climate targets. We applaud the federal government’s commitments to demonstrate leadership in energy efficient and low carbon buildings while starting to flesh out the tools needed for all homes to be climate-safe and affordable. Deep retrofits are the only climate actions that ensure Canadian homes are resilient, climate-safe, and affordable to heat and cool. Supporting energy efficiency and the adoption of highly efficient heating systems will help everyday Canadians and utilities save money.  Households win as they spend less on bills and on maintaining separate heating and cooling systems, and can reduce utility connection costs if they fully electrify. Utilities win as they save on system expansion costs through demand side management, investing in energy efficiency, demand response and demand flexibility. At the same time, building right the first time saves money and avoids retrofitting down the line. This includes using materials and components that are low in embodied carbon, or even better that sequester carbon. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make sure Canadians have homes that are ready for our changing climate.  And it’s time to get to work.  Building decarbonization creates good, long-term jobs distributed throughout every region of Canada. The CGBS Inventories the important policy and regulatory work and investment happening at the federal level across departments. The regulatory and funding actions, such as advancing codes and standards while investing in equipment like heat pumps, bundled into the CGBS are a start to what is needed to stimulate market transformation for both new construction and retrofits.   We look forward to continued budgetary supports and regulatory actions such as modernization of Energy Efficiency Act and incorporation of resilience measures in codes. And we will continue to work with government on setting housing adaptation targets and a system of accountability, which remains a gap in the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS). Decarbonizing and adapting Canadian homes and buildings for a changing climate will require a multi-sectoral effort in every community, urban, rural or remote. Our hope is that Canada’s Green Buildings Strategy opens the dialogue with other orders of government on strategies to ensure every Canadian can live in a home that is healthy, safe, climate-resilient and affordable to heat and cool." Learn more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gwEv88ba

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🔹 "The proposed changes would use height instead of FAR as a development control mechanism, which could potentially speed up approvals." 🔹 "Under a height-based framework, the development potential of a lot is determined by the permitted building height and required setbacks," staff explained. 🔹 "Land use designations and zoning districts would continue to determine permitted uses, except zoning districts would come with height limits under the new proposed framework. Heights would, of course, vary from area to area, such as four storeys or below for sites zoned R1, 20 storeys or lower for sites zoned R6, and 50 storeys or higher for sites zoned R9." 🔹 "For mixed-use sites, which the City anticipates will be delivering the bulk of Burnaby's new commercial space, an "overlay" framework will be used — an R8 (Residential) zone atop a C2 (Commercial) zone, for example — instead of the current practice of rezoning the entire site to one CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) zone. The heights, critically, would not "stack." 🔹 "The proposed approach to enabling mixed-use sites enhances flexibility, allows for various combinations of districts, and minimizes the need for CD Districts," said staff. "Where mixed-use sites are identified, the land use designation or zoning district with the most permissive height allowance would apply, rather than the cumulative heights of each district. Where residential zoning is applied, the residential height allowance would take precedence." 🔹 "This proposed change is coming as part of the City's Zoning Bylaw Rewrite project, a comprehensive update to Burnaby's Zoning Bylaw with the goal of modernizing and simplifying regulations." #burnaby #development #vancouverrealestate

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"Housing experts... argue widespread adoption of government-supported affordable housing, the growth of alternative models like co-operatives and co-housing, and the increased use of advanced building techniques could all play a role in improving Canada's housing system." Diversity in building ownership and adoption of modular building approaches has helped create stability and resilience in European countries; here, Ian Bickis considers how they could be adopted here in Canada. https://lnkd.in/ghgrENBK #ModularConstruction #ModularManufacturing #ModularHousing #HousingSupply #CanadianHousing #HousingCrisis The Canadian Press National Newswatch

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Canada’s real estate industry is witnessing a shift towards #sustainability and resilience, driven by new climate risk regulations and initiatives aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change, say Robyn Brown, Ernesto Díaz Lozano Patiño, and Kaylee Shalett of Arcadis. And by staying informed, proactive, and collaborative, commercial property owners and developers can position themselves as leaders in #sustainable development and contribute to Canada’s broader climate goals.

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Check out our article, "Telecommunications Infrastructure: An Understanding and Way Forward in Planning", published in the latest edition of OPPI Y magazine. https://lnkd.in/guziJAhx #Telecommunications #UrbanPlanning #Infrastructure #Connectivity #WirelessNetworks #OPPI #PlanningForTheFuture #5G

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Kudos to Shehryar Khan, MCIP, RPP for an excellent article! 👏 I just finished reading it and was impressed by how thoroughly you covered the unique challenges involved in expanding wireless services—especially when it comes to siting concealed multi-use cell towers in urban areas. Having spent over 25 years in Canadian telecom, mainly focusing on transmission planning and engineering to interconnect cell sites for Telus Mobility, I never had to dive into the complexities of real estate transactions for towers. But after working with you on multiservice projects involving 5G with public EV charging systems, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the challenges you outlined! What struck me most is how vital it is to raise awareness on this issue. Everyone wants faster, more reliable cellular service, but when it comes to building the infrastructure, the NIMBY reflex kicks in. Your article not only highlights these hurdles but also brings much-needed education and practical insights to the conversation. And that rendering of the multi-service installation on the cover? Definitely one of the best I’ve seen. Well done, Shehryar! Your work is helping pave the way for smoother implementations of critical infrastructure. #Telecommunications #UrbanPlanning #Infrastructure #Connectivity #5G #wirelesscommunications #SiteAcquisition #LandDevelopment #REIT

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The new Canada Green Buildings Strategy aims to transform the #building sector for a net-zero future, with Efficiency Canada noting that we should reflect on how to build a stronger voice for efficient, affordable, climate-friendly #buildings.

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Join Me For A Roundtable On Mixed Use Development in Metro Vancouver I am excited to be speaking at an upcoming roundtable on Mixed-Use Development on Industrial Lands In Metro Vancouver, where we'll explore key strategies and challenges around transforming industrial lands. Vancouver has industrial lands which are zoned within the city and are no longer practical to be used for heavy industry. Light industrial zones are needed within the city but questions arise as how to mix different uses in a city which is densifying. Join Tegan Smith from Channel Consulting, Andrew Peterson from PC Urban, a leading developer in industrial development and me as we discuss mixed-use development on industrial lands. Questions we will discuss. What are the opportunities for development on industrial land? What types of mixed use will fit well within Vancouver? I encourage you to join us! Date: September 24th, 2024 Time: 12 Noon Via Zoom Register: https://lnkd.in/gRVX43FB I hope to see you there! #multifamily #multifamilydevelopment #realestate #realestatedevelopment

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Alarmingly, #governments make three times more than the #builder of a new home. The #federal government is the largest beneficiary of new housing, collecting 39 per cent of the share of #taxrevenues. Yet, the feds contribute only 7.1 per cent of the #infrastructureinvestment in Ontario. Development charges, meanwhile, are out of control. In Toronto, the charges for single-detached homes have increased from $12,910 in 2010 to $141,139 in 2024 – a whopping 79-per-cent hike. The charges have increased 42 per cent in less than a year in the #GreaterTorontoArea. By comparison, development charges on a comparable new home in Calgary are just $22,000. Cutting the #fees would make a difference. In 2022, #CMHC figured that if builders didn’t have to pay permit #fees, #municipalfees, guarantee fees, development charges or density payments, input costs for a high-rise condo in Toronto with 24 storeys could be decreased 15 per cent. #Crisis #Permits #Bureaucracy #PermitFees #HousingCrisis #BigGovernment #DensityPayments #DevelopmentCharges

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