Regina's Proposed Growth Strategy Reimagines Housing Development with Infrastructure-First Approach
A significant refresh of Regina's official community plan is poised to fundamentally alter how the city approaches housing development, placing infrastructure readiness at the forefront even if it means postponing some suburban projects for multiple decades.
Strategic Shift Toward Data-Driven Growth
City administration presented potential updates to Design Regina, the city's official community plan, during a recent council meeting. The most notable change involves adopting a strategic approach that would only permit new neighborhood development in greenfield areas once the wastewater system demonstrates sufficient capacity to support additional housing units.
"This represents a much more data-driven, calculated approach to how we grow our city," emphasized Mayor Chad Bachynski following an executive committee meeting discussing the proposed changes. "With this plan, development will occur where property tax revenue exceeds municipal investment, creating sustainable financial growth for our community."
Moving Beyond 'Growth Pays for Growth' Philosophy
The proposed strategy acknowledges that Regina's long-standing "growth pays for growth" mantra has proven ineffective in practice. Mayor Bachynski explained that growth now actually costs the city money rather than generating sufficient revenue to cover infrastructure expenses.
"Growth does not pay for growth anymore. It actually costs us to grow, and so we're shifting away from that," Bachynski stated. "This flips the script to approach development from an infrastructure and service availability perspective."
The mayor characterized the previous growth plan as "sporadic" in its expansion targeting, noting that the updated strategy would ensure development aligns with infrastructure upgrades to better cover project costs.
Population Projections and Development Tiers
Fresh projections indicate Regina is on track to exceed growth levels envisioned in the 2013 official community plan. New modeling anticipates the city will reach 370,000 residents by 2050, requiring 68,000 new jobs and 57,000 additional housing units. Census data from 2021 recorded Regina's population at 233,000.
Under the proposed phased approach, the city would prioritize new neighborhoods in three distinct tiers based on current plans to upgrade water main lines and wastewater lift stations:
- Tier 1 neighborhoods can proceed immediately as water capacity is available, including Westerra, Coopertown, Maple Ridge, Skyview, Rosewood, and Hawkstone.
- Tier 2 neighborhoods like the Towns and Eastbrook are on hold pending completion of the $75.4-million Northwest Regional Wastewater Lift Station in 2028 and further expansion of trunk capacity in the south end by 2030.
Potential Impact on Approved Suburbs
If approved, developers indicate the new strategy could place some of Regina's already-approved suburban developments on hold for 15 to 30 years. This infrastructure-first approach represents a fundamental rethinking of urban expansion priorities, emphasizing sustainable development over rapid growth.
The proposed changes come as Regina faces increasing pressure to manage growth responsibly while ensuring adequate infrastructure supports new residents and maintains quality of life for existing citizens.
