The Pulse
Oct. 21, 2026

The City of Edmonton has released seven designs it commissioned from architects across Western Canada that it says are meant to fast-track applications for missing-middle housing while encouraging good design.

"I think, in fairness to industry and just speaking broadly, missing middle housing at the small-scale residential size in Canada is basically brand new. The most that we had in older decades was the occasional fourplex," said Greg Whistance-Smith, project architect at the City of Edmonton. "The way things have gone has been pretty intense and caused all the pushback, so for us, this was really about seeing how we can show good design at this scale and get good designers on board to do that."

The designs were unveiled at an Edmonton Design Week panel on Oct. 15 that featured Carol Belanger, Edmonton's city architect, along with designers from Two Row Architect, D'Arcy Jones Architects, and HEREBY Architectural Inc. Whistance-Smith acknowledged that the designs could be affected by the province's order to revert Edmonton's infill rules to where they were before 2024. "We're just going to work through it, and we're really lucky that these designs do have some flexibility already baked into them," Whistance-Smith said. "We're pretty confident we can chart our way through whatever comes, but we're waiting as much as everyone else is on something coming concretely in writing."

City council has requested written instructions on what the province wants to see changed. There is a special city council meeting on the matter scheduled for Oct. 22 at 1:30pm.

The Standardized Missing Middle Design project is part of the city's Housing Accelerator Fund action plan. The city has received more than $200 million from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to support 16 initiatives aimed at reducing barriers to development and incentivizing a mix of multiunit, transit-oriented, missing middle, and non-market affordable housing. The 16 initiatives include the zoning bylaw renewal that the province now wants to see rolled back, mass city-led upzoning in priority growth areas, and the use of surplus school sites for affordable housing.

The seven designs are for missing-middle housing — in other words, something between a large single-family home with a yard and a tiny apartment building in a 20-storey tower. The city said using a pre-approved design can save time and between $5,000 and $18,000. Applications using pre-approved designs will be prioritized for review, but there will still be site-specific requirements such as foundation engineering, lot grading, and landscaping.

The city started by identifying the different lot sizes the homes would live on. Three designs are for a 50-foot-by-120-foot lot, two are for a 50-foot-by-140-foot lot, one is for a narrower 33-foot lot, and one is for a backyard suite. The designs range from one to eight units.

Whistance-Smith pointed out that the architects tried to make the buildings beautiful as well as livable. For example, among the designs, basement suites have large windows, backyards have room to relax, and facades are designed to welcome as much sunlight as possible.

• About 75% of Alberta voters chose to remain in Canada, rejecting a second referendum on separation. As of Oct. 20, preliminary results favoured yes on eight of Alberta's nine immigration and constitutional referendum questions, including all five immigration-related proposals. Elections Alberta expected to finish counting ballots on Oct. 21. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her government would pursue reforms within Canada's political and legal institutions, acknowledging that disputes with Ottawa remain unresolved. In a televised address, Smith said she believes the federal government has changed its approach to Alberta's energy sector under Prime Minister Mark Carney, with seven of the province's nine targeted federal laws now considered scrapped or reformed. Smith also ruled out holding another separation referendum while she remains premier.
• Capital Power CEO Avik Dey said Alberta's vote to remain in Canada eased anxiety among investors outside the province. Servus Credit Union chief economist Charles St-Arnaud warned that lingering separatist sentiment could continue to weigh on businesses.
• A fatality inquiry began into the December 2025 death of Prashant Sreekumar at Edmonton's Grey Nuns Community Hospital. His family said the 44-year-old father of three waited nearly eight hours to see a doctor after seeking care for chest pain. A triage nurse testified that the emergency department was crowded and lacked enough beds.
• The City of Edmonton completed 95 Avenue renewal work between 163 Street and 182 Street after two years of construction. The city's upgrades included wider sidewalks, a new south-side shared pathway and reconstructed travel lanes.
• Five Wainwright churches organized a vigil for soldiers killed or injured in the CFB Wainwright fire. The service will take place at the Wainwright Church of the Nazarene at 7pm on Oct. 21. Defence Minister David McGuinty said on Oct. 20 that 33 of the 39 injured military members remained in hospital.
• The Prix Versailles Selection Committee named Edmonton's Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre as one of seven World's Most Beautiful Arenas for 2026. The centre, which opened Jan. 27, is also nominated for one of the program's three world titles.
• Discover Airlines plans to launch nonstop flights between Edmonton and Frankfurt on June 1, 2027. The German leisure airline will serve Edmonton International Airport three times weekly, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
• An SUV driver struck an LRT train at 66 Street and 36A Avenue in Lee Ridge. No injuries were reported. The Edmonton Police Service said the driver reportedly ran a red light. Valley Line Southeast service between Davies and Mill Woods resumed after a temporary disruption.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Unlocking Innovation Funding: An Introduction to SR&ED starting at 9am at Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• How DnD Buys: Defence Procurement Information Session starting at 10:30am at Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• Municipal Government Mixer starting at 11:30am at Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• Defence Procurement Success Story: Fireside Chat with Andrea Oh starting at 1:30pm at Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• Alberta Family Business Institute Signature Event starting at 5pm at Edmonton Convention Centre
• Domaine Devillard Wine Dinner starting at 6pm at The Marc
• Student Speed Mentoring Night starting at 6pm at Double Dragon
• No Ordinary World starting at 6:30pm at Garneau Theatre
• No Lonely Writers: Library Write-in starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Academy Showcase starting at 7pm at Rapid Fire Exchange
• Opera Pub starting at 7pm at The Druid Irish Pub

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nov. 12: Startup TNT: Top 5 Finale Night starting at 6pm at Citadel Theatre
• Nov. 21: Make Believe Ball starting at 6pm at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
• Nov. 22-24: Canadian Innovation Conference at Edmonton Convention Centre

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

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