In Development Podcast

Host Allison Rosland and IDEA Executive Director Sean Sedgwick sit down with Edmonton's mayor Andrew Knack for a discussion about his vision for the city, what inspires him and his perspectives on infill. Biography: Andrew Knack was elected in October 2025 as the 37th Mayor of Edmonton.  Born in Edmonton and raised west of the city in Spruce Grove, Andrew returned to Edmonton to attend the Univers...

In this episode of In Development, our hosts chat with Don Iveson, a former city councillor, mayor and current housing & sustainability expert.  They discuss the historical context of Edmonton's infill policy environment, challenges we continue to face and how a better future will require collaboration between all orders of government. Don's deep knowledge of municipal politics and breadth of...

In this episode, Eleanor Mohammed and Peter Spearey join our host Stephen to discuss the Edmonton Design Awards, great examples of urban design and its importance to building great public spaces. Learn about the jury process, philosophy and goals of Edmonton Design Week and how our guests see it evolving over time.  Biographies:  Peter Spearey Peter is an award-winning landscape architect and urba...

Register for the IDEA Symposium: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1571928493439?aff=oddtdtcreator Register for the Celebration of Planning: https://www.albertaplanners.com/civicrm/event/info?id=750&reset=1 In this episode, our hosts chat with Neal LaMontagne, professional planner & academic about his perspectives on planning and pedagogy. Learn about the differences between various Canadian pla...

With Stephen on vacation, Allison hosts this week's episode with IDEA's Executive Director Sean. The hosts chat with IDEA board member Jay Sanderson of Backroads Reclamation about the hidden goldmine of usable wood in structures poised for demolition. We learn about the complexity of building a cost-effective supply chain and removing friction from more sustainable construction practices.  Jay's B...

In this episode, Jacob Dawang of Grow Together YEG chats with our hosts about how the data of infill development tells a different story than one might expect about Edmonton's recent growth. Learn about how restrictive zoning practices have shaped cities in North America and some ideas of how we can create a better path forward.  Biography:  Jacob Dawang is a data scientist at Capital One Canada,...

In this episode of In Development, our hosts chat with Councillor Sarah Hamilton who reflects on her two terms in Council, shares insights about regulatory change management and explores what other cities can teach us about Edmonton.  Councillor Hamilton's Biography:  Sarah Hamilton is proud to be City Councillor for Edmonton’s Ward sipiwiyiniwak. She currently sits as the City of Edmonton represe...

In this episode, our hosts chat with Mauricio Ochoa; Vice President of IDEA and CEO of FCX Developments. Mauricio shares a behind the scenes look into his industry beginnings and explains why he is so passionate about infill. You'll learn about how he connects with neighbours and manages relationships during the development process and hear insights about the importance of genuinely caring for you...

In this episode of In Development, we explore how public and active transportation interact with infill development (and vice versa!) Our guests Daniel Witte and Shannon Lohner bring important insights from their work with Edmonton Transit Riders and Paths for People, respectively. Get ready to learn about everything from how transportation modalities are financed in Edmonton to how they're implem...

In this episode, our hosts chat with Lisa Drury from the City of Edmonton about the new Priority Growth Area (PGA) rezoning project. We dive into how the project came about, the selection process for areas being rezoned and how the public was engaged during its development. This episode provides a great opportunity to learn the nuances of the proposal before it goes to public hearing on May 20th,...

In this episode, we reconnect with Alkarim Devani to talk about how Edmonton and Calgary are faring when it comes to pushing for a better policy and regulatory environment with regard to infill development. We learn more about mddl, an expert organization in middle housing whose mission is to build capacity from top to bottom for "missing middle" and reduce barriers to delivering this kind of deve...

In this episode, we dive into what goes into operating that great local coffee shop that often features prominently in many visions of local redevelopment. Antonio Gomez and Peter West both operate coffee shops in Edmonton, but also have backgrounds in design and planning respectively. We chat about how community connects within coffee shops and how design and planning intersects with successful l...

Join us for a special year-end episode of In Development as we reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025. In this engaging and competitive episode, our new podcast host Stephen challenges our existing hosts to a heart-pounding elimination challenge to find out which one of them will remain in the new year. Topics include... Edmonton’s new Zoning Bylaw The Housing Accelerator Fund District Plans and P...

This episode features two passionate Edmontonians, Jay Downton and Erin Murray-Green, who are involved with River Valley Company and River Valley Hospitality. These ventures focus on creating community-oriented amenities in Edmonton’s river valley, including the beloved Little Brick Café and Umpreheville Block. Jay and his team are helping to build a more vibrant and accessible river valley experi...

This episode’s guests visit us virtually from Calgary for a discussion all about building missing middle housing across Alberta. Studio North’s Matt Kennedy discusses building missing middle housing in the mountains and translates lessons learned from this context to apply across the province. Matt shares more about the Astor project in Banff, which exemplifies how to balance design excellence wit...

The guests on this episode of In-Development are familiar faces! Mariah Samji and Sean Sedgwick join forces to talk about the past, present, and future of IDEA. As Mariah moves on from her role as Executive Director of IDEA, she discusses the legacy and impact the organization has had on the City as well as herself personally. Sean shares what drew him to IDEA and what he hopes the organization ca...

Join us for a dynamic episode of the In Development podcast as we sit down with Chelsea Whitty and Jordan Riemer, two innovative urban planners making significant impacts on Edmonton's urban landscape. Jordan Riemer is an Urban Planner in Edmonton who specializes in merging equity and land-use considerations into transportation planning. With a background that includes six years at DIALOG , Jordan...

Join us for an engaging episode of the In Development podcast as we welcome Puneeta McBryan , CEO of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) . Puneeta stepped into her role in December 2020, navigating the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a leader and connector, she collaborates with government bodies, the private sector, arts and cultural organizations, post-secondary...

Join us for an insightful discussion on urban development as we connect with Clarence Wong, Vice President at Investec Consulting. Born and raised in Edmonton, Clarence's background includes a BSc in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering Degree in Construction Management from the University of Alberta. His 20-year career spans consulting and public service, with experience in Transportatio...

Join us for a candid conversation on affordable housing as we sit down with Jonathan Lay, Vice President in Projects for HomeEd. Jonathan brings a wealth of experience from his background in civil engineering to his current role in property management, where he's passionate about crafting communities that thrive. In this episode, Jonathan breaks down the complexities of affordable housing, clarify...

In this episode, listeners are invited to explore waste management and innovation with Jordan Denault, a business development manager at Underground Disposal Systems (UDS). Jordan delves into his work in the waste management industry and its intersection with infill development. The conversation spans across waste management practices in Edmonton, encompassing traditional methods and the rise of s...

Today on In Development, we're excited to welcome Simran Malhi, Vice President of IDEA and the dynamic co-founder and CEO of Building Supply Depot. Their vision? To revolutionize the procurement of exterior building supplies, offering a seamless experience for builders, contractors, and developers. Simran shares her journey of identifying a crucial industry gap and crafting a solution that blends...

Today, David and Melissa Campbell join In Development to discuss their award winning missing middle housing development, T5M Connect. From a sign collecting development suggestions written in sharpie to accessibility decisions and landscaping, David and Melissa share their experience building the first Passive House Certified Multi-family building in Alberta! Environmental leadership was woven thr...

On today’s episode, embark on a riveting journey through the heart of Edmonton's urban transformation with the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative. In this episode, hosts Allison and Lilit are joined by key figures from the City of Edmonton, Darbi Kinnee and Lyla Peter. Together they unravel the city's efforts to create zoning regulations that work for Edmonton,  the philosophy guiding the renewal, an...

Today's guest on "In Development" is Ranon Soans. In this episode, the group delves into a thought-provoking discussion on district and city planning. "Cities are complex beings that need to live and breathe," so how do we best create plans with the understanding that they will continuously need to be amended? How do we enable what we want to see without restricting what we fear, while also provid...