Upzoning and Redevelopment: The Details Matter
Comparing two BC multiplex upzonings to show how implementation details drive different outcomes.
Two BC municipalities implemented broadly similar multiplex upzoning policies in the same period — one saw a surge of redevelopment activity, the other barely a ripple. This 2025 paper, published in the Journal of Housing Economics, investigates why.
The answer lies not in the zoning change itself but in implementation details: permitting timelines, the availability of pre-approved building designs, parking requirements, and development cost charges. The comparison cautions against using high-level policy parameters as the sole metric for evaluating upzoning effectiveness.