UPDATE: Phase 4 engagement is now closed. Check back here soon for a What We Heard Report of the feedback provided! Please visit the City Building main page for current information and for the final draft of the Calgary Plan, which will be presented to Infrastructure and Planning Committee on February 12, 2025.

The new Zoning Bylaw is an important tool for achieving the goals in the Calgary Plan. It will make the rules for land use and building design in the city easier to understand.

Learn more about the new Zoning Bylaw:

• Intro Video: A short video explaining what the Zoning Bylaw is.
• Summary Sheets: Key information about the main points, changes, and proposed zones in the draft Zoning Bylaw.
• Annotated Draft Zoning Bylaw: This document is still being developed and includes notes from the project team about important issues.

Share your thoughts to help shape the new Zoning Bylaw:

• Webinar Series: Sign up for an online session to learn more about the draft Zoning Bylaw and ask questions.
• Workshop Series: Join a session online or in person to learn more, ask questions, and share your ideas with the project team.
• Online Survey: Use the form below to share your opinions.

We want to hear from you! Your feedback will help us make important decisions. As we continue to develop the draft Zoning Bylaw in the coming years, we will keep checking in with Calgarians to ensure it helps create a city full of opportunities.

Please note that while the new Zoning Bylaw is related to the earlier Rezoning for Housing program, it is a separate project. For more information about the Rezoning for Housing program, please visit their webpage.

What is the Zoning Bylaw?

• A Zoning Bylaw directs the shape and size of buildings and the uses (activities) allowed on a property.
• A zone sets the rules for buildings and uses across the city, including all residential, commercial and industrial areas.
• Each property is assigned a zone to guide future development, but this does not require any changes to the property or building.

Want to know more about what a zoning bylaw is or what it does? Watch the intro video below.

Learn more about how zoning works or scroll down to sign up for a webinar or workshop to learn more and ask questions.

What’s new in the Zoning Bylaw?

The new Zoning Bylaw will make zoning rules easier to understand across the city. This means it will be simpler to start a business, renovate your home, or build something new. The simplified Zoning Bylaw will:

• Make regulations clearer and more flexible
• Reduce confusion by cutting down on overlap between different zones
• Simplify the list of allowed uses
• Include more graphics and plain language to help everyone understand the rules

These changes will help create a faster and more efficient planning process, lowering the costs and complications of development. Overall, the rules will be easier for everyone to follow.

Explore the summary sheets linked in the graphic below to learn more.

Why does Calgary need a new Zoning Bylaw?

The current Land Use Bylaw has worked well, but it is outdated. It’s similar to the one created many years ago, when Calgary was a very different city.

A new Zoning Bylaw will help Calgary tackle important issues today, like climate change, and create a fairer city for everyone.

Aligning the Zoning Bylaw

The City Building Program is a multi-year project that aims to improve Calgary’s planning rules to help everyone thrive. This includes the Calgary Plan, Zoning Bylaw, and Street Manual.

The new Zoning Bylaw will match the goals of the Calgary Plan, which focuses on:

• Better housing options
• Improved public transit
• A lively downtown
• Walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods

It will also work with the new Street Manual, making sure land use and transportation are part of the same plan.

By aligning the Zoning Bylaw with other City plans, it will be easier to achieve Calgary’s goals, reduce unnecessary regulations, and provide more certainty for communities and businesses.

Learn more about the City Building Program

Online Survey

Share your input and take the online survey.

Workshop Series

Whether you have never heard of zoning before or use the current Land Use Bylaw every day, there is an opportunity for you to shape the document. Register for an event (online or in-person) at the link below to learn more, ask questions, and share your input to help shape the future Zoning Bylaw.