The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux Broken Zoning: Why We Can’t Fix the Housing Crisis Without a Map
Jul 9, 2025
Urban planner Alex Beheshti, a passionate advocate for a Canadian Zoning Atlas, joins the discussion on Canada’s convoluted zoning laws. He highlights how confusing regulations obstruct effective housing policies. The conversation delves into the urgent need for centralized, machine-readable zoning data to facilitate better planning decisions. With insights drawn from successful international models, Alex argues that a unified zoning approach could transform housing outcomes in Canada. The episode reveals how essential better data is to overcoming the housing crisis.
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Passion Reflected in Wedding Vows
- Alex shares how his wife found his passion for housing and development charges attractive, even mentioning them in their wedding vows.
- This personal support motivated him to put energy into solving zoning data challenges.
Zoning's Complex Landscape
- Zoning controls land use via development envelopes and permitted uses, varying widely by municipality.
- Unlike building codes, zoning lacks standardization, complicating comparisons and analysis across regions.
Need for Machine-Readable Zoning Data
- Most zoning data is not machine-readable, limiting analysis at scale by policymakers or researchers.
- Centralized, consistent zoning data is essential for informed decision-making and crisis management.