Some Calgary councillors pushback against high-density housing near transit stations
Posted Jun 18, 2026 10:21 am.
Last Updated Jun 19, 2026 9:03 am.
A plan for high-density housing near Calgary transit stations has prompted pushback from some on council who call it “blanket rezoning 2.0.”
A street in Calgary’s Cedarbrae community is full of single-family homes, but the area councillor says he’s concerned about a potential plan from the city that could earmark this area for higher housing density.
“These are 400-metre circles all around the primary transit network. So the primary transit network consists of the LRT line as well as the MAX yellow and teal lines,” said Ward 11 councillor Rob Ward.
“If we look at communities like Chinook Park, Kelvin Grove, Eagle Ridge, Quarry Park, Riverbend, they’re completely covered.”
Ward’s concerns follow the city’s proposed Calgary Plan — a master document that sets the framework for city policies. It says the highest density should be within a 400-meter radius.
The plan is now on hold after the majority of council said more work needs to be done to align with what they’re hearing from Calgarians.
“We have a lot of concerns around wording that’s used, definitions that’re made, the biggest concerns being that 400 meters around the primary transit network and the 600 meters around what they refer to as bustling streets, main streets that’re bustling,” Ward said.
But Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas says the concerns of everything being built everywhere won’t play out that way.
“I don’t think anybody on council or in city administration is suggesting that we just have a 600-meter radius around every bus stop, and it just blankets the entire city. That’s not the direction we’re going,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said.
However, that doesn’t ease concerns of some. Ward 12 councillor Mike Jamieson is likening it to “Blanket rezoning 2.0.”
“Can you explain how this is not a blanket rezoning?” he says in council — a clip shared on social media.
Meanwhile, city hall says this document is too high-level to address specifics, such as community character. Those are tackled in more direct policies, like land use areas and zoning. However, that didn’t ease the concerns of some enough to see the plan through.
“We have a lot to talk about, so I hope they’ve set a lot of time aside,” said Ward 11 councillor Rob Ward.
He says council will work with the city’s planning department to make adjustments.
An updated plan is set to be brought before council in early 2027.
