Inclusionary Zoning is Not Charity

Municipalities are authorized by provincial and federal laws to regulate land development as defined by their respective jurisdiction’s approved plans. Key to their power is their ability establish zones which dictates building specifications and how land is used. Zoning is generally understood to be critical in the governing and management of land by municipalities as it guarantees that land is developed in accordance with their own desires.

There are numerous zoning techniques that are exclusionary as they place additional restrictions on what is allowed in residential zones, consequently these locations have become inaccessible to lower income residents. Some areas of North America remain mostly white due to racial segregation perpetuated in part by exclusionary agreements and zoning regulations.

I always hear Canadians talk about racism as a US problem as if we did not have our own shameful history of segregation and redlining. The history of zoning in Canada is one of discrimination against the Jewish, Indigenous, Chinese, and Black Communities. Did you know that in 1923, the white folks over at Edmonton city council were so terrified at the thought of inter-racial swimming that they banned black people from public swimming pools?

Granted, the more obviously exclusionary aspects of zoning policies and bylaws are mostly gone, but there remains subtle undertones in racism and discrimination as it manifests in the lack of affordable housing arising from restrictive zoning practices. It is our immigrants and low-income compatriots that bare the brunt of the current housing crisis.

Let’s not wax poetic about why we should be morally obliged to amend municipal bylaws. Wether we like it or not, exclusionary zoning is illegal if we are to view it from the standpoint of human rights. In other words, Cities are legally obligated to advance equality within their jurisdiction and ensure that their policies do not blatantly discriminate racialized folk. A major step forward is through inclusionary zoning that permits subsidized housing and mixed-use housing.