Land Use Podcast

In Alberta, boreal forests cover 60% of our land base. Understanding the composition of these forests will help us understand how much carbon our forests could store. For more information check out these resources: Mapping tree demographic rates and biomass of Alberta’s boreal forest https://shorturl.at/NVOTX How many trees are there in the North American boreal forest? https://nsojournals.onlinel...

Conservation easements have a long history as an effective conservation tool for private landowners. Find out about the history of conservation easements in Canada and why landowners might choose to restrict their property rights in favour of conservation. For more information check out these resources: Provincial diffusion, national acceptance: the transfer of conservation easement policy in Cana...

The responsible management of stormwater is essential to protecting our waterways, but it may also present an opportunity to supplement water supply. For more information check out these resources: WaterSMART | A Hazen Company https://watersmartsolutions.ca/ Canada WaterPortal https://waterportal.ca/ Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership https://alidp.org/

Suburban areas have large amounts of green space and concrete that contribute to urban heat island effects. Find out the benefits of transforming these spaces into ecosystems for native pollinators! Join Oscar Zapata and Ana Hidalgo to learn about ecosystem services from native pollinator gardens! For more information check out these resources: Transforming suburban areas: A marketplace for urban...

Ecosystems provide numerous benefits to the health and wellbeing of our communities and the planet. How do perceptions of ecosystems and their benefits influence urban development? For more information check out these resources: The influence of ecosystem service values on green infrastructure and urban development: insights from 5 Canadian municipalities https://tinyurl.com/ecosysvalues The appli...

Forest fires, drought and flooding are among the many climate impacts experienced by communities all across Alberta. Local planners face the constant challenge of creating effective adaptation strategies, but when should communities consider relocation and how do we plan for it? For more information check out these resources: Local planning for climate induced relocation: A systematic review https...

If you have owned or stayed at a cabin or lake house anywhere in the province, chances are you’ve visited one of Alberta most unique municipalities, the summer village. Due to their small and impermanent populations, these communities face unique land use and planning challenges. Join professional planner, Craig Thomas, to learn more about planning challenges in summer villages. For more informati...

Studies have revealed that soil and all of the complex systems that exist within the soil are being altered by our changing climate. This, in turn, is affecting our ability to grow crops and provide food security for our growing populations. Join the Alberta Land Institute for the first ever live episode of the Land Use Podcast where postdoctoral researcher, Yuge Bai, will discuss how biochar may...

Edmonton’s iconic river valley is home to multiple golf courses, but are these exclusive green spaces the best use of this land? How do golf courses intersect with biodiversity preservation and water conservation? Learn about golf courses as land use in Edmonton with the University of Alberta’s Arshdeep Kaur and Damian Collins. For more information check out these resources: Golf as Land Use: The...

Carbon capture and storage is an effective tool in the global effort to mitigate climate change, but many feel this technology is controversial. How does the public feel about cross-border transport and storage of carbon? Cross-border CO2 transport decreases public acceptance of carbon capture and storage https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-02023-0 NORSAR Ensure- Effective monitoring of lon...

Across Canada there are 400 thousand abandoned oil and gas wells with over 172 thousand of those in Alberta. With Provincial campaigns yielding underwhelming results, and the high cost of remediation, it’s worth considering other uses for these wells. Join Mohammad Zolfagharroshan from McGill University to discuss the geothermal energy potential from abandoned oil and gas wells in Alberta on the l...

Municipal boundary adjustments like amalgamation and annexation can have a significant impact on municipalities. So why do these boundary adjustments happen? Join Sandeep Agrawal to discuss the recently released book “Municipal Boundary Battles” and learn about the motivations behind boundary adjustments and how municipalities are affected. For more information check out these resources: Municipal...

Urban farms have a number of environmental benefits and have often been discussed as solutions to food security issues, but there is another, less discussed benefit: community building! Find out more from the latest episode of the Land Use Podcast.

With a 2050 net-zero goal on the horizon, Alberta is going to have to turn to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. But how do landowners feel about the development of wind power? Are these perspectives connected to political affiliation? Learn more from our latest podcast episode with John Parkins. For more information check out these resources: Unraveling the link between politi...

As Alberta faces drought, how do we work with water licence holders to ensure Albertans have access to water? Find out more from our latest podcast episode with Lorraine Nicol. For more information check out these resources: Priority? Licence transfers? Here's how Alberta's water system works: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/priority-licence-transfers-here-s-how-alberta-s-water-system-work...

An increase in greenhouse gasses is the main culprit of climate change around the globe with 50 to 60 per cent of emissions being produced by cities. Find out more about how neighbourhood carbon emissions are contributing in this podcast episode with Nilusha Welegedara. For more information check out these resources: Household energy-related carbon footprint in residential neighbourhoods in high-l...

Healthy soils are essential for food production, so how can you protect soil health in your garden? Learn about the basics of soil health in this episode based on the “Community Resource Guide: Sustainable Healthy Soils in Alberta” by Sukhwinder Singh, research funded in part by AREF. For more information on soil health check out these resources: Community Resource Guide: Sustainable Healthy Soils...

Why should soil health matter to you? Come learn about soil health in Alberta with Sukhwinder Singh! We talk about the state of soil health in Alberta and Canada and how policy could be used to protect soil health. For more information on soil health check out these resources: Community Resource Guide: Sustainable Healthy Soils in Alberta https://www.albertalandinstitute.ca/public/download/files/2...

Curious about what kind of research went into the City of Edmonton’s Zoning Bylaw Renewal? Sandeep Agrawal talks about how his research informed the new bylaw’s equitable approach to zoning. For more information on the zoning bylaw renewal check out these resources: Assessing inequity in zoning bylaw: a case of Edmonton, Canada https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/ZoningBylaw_T...

EPISODE 3- WE'RE BACK! What's the deal with Edmonton's Zoning bylaw renewal? Join ALI's Aysha Wu and City of Edmonton City Planner Trevor Illingworth to learn all about zoning, the bylaw renewal and what's next for zoning in Edmonton. For more information on the zoning bylaw renewal check out these resources: Bylaw Renewal Library https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/urban_planning_and_design/z...

How to grow and protect agricultural land in Alberta. Hosted by ALI Communications Coordinator Evan Menzies with Dr. Brent Swallow from the University of Alberta. Dr. Swallow was a co-PI on a recently released report through the Alberta Land Institute, which estimated the economic impact of agricultural land fragmentation and conversion in Alberta.

Our PILOT EPISODE! Join Dr. Eran Kaplinsky and Dr. Dave Poulton as they dive into a discussion on property rights, what rights landowners have and what powers government's have in creating public policy governing private land use.