Regina city council has formally adopted a sweeping new growth plan that will reshape housing development strategies in the city over the next quarter-century. After extensive deliberation, council members voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a series of updates to Design Regina, the municipality's official community plan.
Strategic Housing Development Tied to Infrastructure Capacity
Among the most significant changes is a new approach to housing development approvals that directly links neighborhood expansion to the available capacity within Regina's water systems. This represents a fundamental shift in how the city will manage its anticipated population growth from 233,000 to 370,000 residents by 2050, according to official projections.
"It's an incredible win to move this forward," declared Mayor Chad Bachynski following the council meeting. "The whole intent is to take the politics out of development."
Three-Phase Neighborhood Development Strategy
The newly approved plan introduces a fresh three-phase strategy for new neighborhoods, where some developments will need to wait for city confirmation that water and wastewater systems possess adequate capacity before construction can proceed. This infrastructure-first approach aims to direct future residents toward areas of Regina where existing infrastructure can readily accommodate increased usage.
"We're taking the entire city into consideration when we're making some of these big decisions about advancing communities," explained Deb Bryden, deputy city manager of city planning.
Plan Passed Without Amendments Despite Requests
The updates passed exactly as proposed by city administration, which spent two full years reviewing and consulting on the comprehensive plan. Notably, council members declined to add any special considerations for pending neighborhoods despite receiving requests from developers working on Harbor Landing, the Towns, and Skywood projects.
The approved plan also maintains administration's proposed changes to density targets originally established in the 2013 version of Design Regina. Rather than specifying a target of adding 10,000 residents to downtown, the revised language now refers to pursuing the "highest employment and population densities" in the downtown core.
Revised Intensification Targets
Additionally, the plan modifies Regina's intensification target by directing 40 percent of new housing units to existing neighborhoods, an increase from the previous 30 percent requirement for new builds in established areas. According to Luke Grazier, a manager of city projects, this language adjustment reflects practical measurement considerations rather than a change in objectives.
"Tracking population movement is difficult to do accurately whereas tracking the number of dwelling units is far easier," Grazier noted. "The adjustment isn't changing the target's goal, just switching the way the city tracks its success in adding density through an easier-to-measure benchmark."
Academic Concerns About Language Changes
Vanessa Mathews, an associate professor of urban planning at the University of Regina, addressed city council on Wednesday to request that officials reverse the language changes and maintain both targets' original wording. Her intervention highlighted ongoing academic concerns about how these modifications might affect long-term planning outcomes.
The unanimous approval of this comprehensive growth framework without amendments represents a significant milestone for Regina's development trajectory, establishing clear parameters for how the city will accommodate substantial population growth while prioritizing infrastructure capacity and strategic neighborhood development over the coming decades.
