Sprawlcast

City council approved a new housing strategy—but the rumble over rezoning is still to come. Hear for yourself what Calgarians and council members had to say during an epic three-day meeting.

In June 2022, city council created an affordable housing task force—and then balked at its recommendations, particularly on upzoning.

An update on The Sprawl—and Jeremy Klaszus's TED Talk on the case for quiet journalism.

For the first time in its 140-year history, the Calgary Herald has no fixed address. But the paper has been in slow decline for decades. What do we lose when the city’s largest newspaper is decimated?

Team Sprawl gathers by the (metaphorical) fireside to reflect on the year that was—and to look ahead. Featuring Ximena González and Sam Hester.

It was supposed to be the foundation of Calgary's transit system: CTrains and buses arriving every 10 minutes. But it didn't last long. We dig into what happened—and what's next.

To thwart densification, two residents of the northwest Calgary community of Banff Trail fight developers and the City of Calgary in court. Their case against multifamily housing is built on a little-known planning instrument from 1952—and is being closely watched outside the neighbourhood.

Zoning shapes our lives. But for many of us, this powerful tool remains hidden and confusing. Jeremy Klaszus speaks with Sara Bronin, a Cornell University professor and director of the National Zoning Atlas in the U.S., about why zoning matters—and how to better understand it. This episode begins with a quick crash course on the history of zoning in Calgary: —How zoning bylaws were created in the...

After fast-tracking five new communities this summer, council members grapple with whether or not to go through with it in light of their own climate policies.

This summer, city council approved a climate strategy and fast-tracked more new suburban communities. Now Mayor Jyoti Gondek wants city administration—and not council—to be the ones deciding whether or not future communities get built.

Some love him. Some hate him. But for better or worse, Stephen Carter has altered Alberta politics. Journalist Taylor Lambert digs into the many ups and downs of Carter's career: his business debts, his politics, his graceless departures from three chief-of-staff roles, and his many grievances.

In July, Calgary city council is slated to vote on a new climate strategy. But will this one be any different than past plans that have been passed—and then ignored? This episode features interviews with Christine Laing of the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good and Tony Snow of the Calgary Climate Hub.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear, the renowned Blackfoot scholar, on the differences between Western and Blackfoot understandings of reality—and how they intersect with climate change.

Jeremy Klaszus speaks with Councillor Courtney Walcott, who sits on the Calgary Police Commission. Why has the thin blue line patch become such a flashpoint—and what's really beneath the controversy?

Today marks four years of Sprawlcast. We observe the occasion by revisiting our first—and possibly best—episode, a deep dive on NIMBYism. What do we miss when we apply that label too hastily? We peel away the NIMBY label and go underground to see what lies beneath.

Jeremy Klaszus visits Mahogany in the city's deep southeast for a conversation with Councillor Evan Spencer. They discuss the idea of “abundant community,” how to build connections in new neighbourhoods, and the realities versus the myths of the suburbs.

Jeremy Klaszus speaks with Iman Bukhari and Michelle Casten Magbanua about a gap they saw in Alberta classrooms—and how they mobilized to fill it. Iman Bukhari is founder and CEO of the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation. Michelle Casten Magbanua is a teacher.

Jeremy Klaszus speaks with Jared Wesley, a University of Alberta political scientist who leads the Common Ground project. They discuss political polarization, what an Albertan looks like, the rise of white nationalism, and that tricky question of what to do when your family or friends are sympathetic to political views you find abhorrent.

Jeremy Klaszus speaks with David Goa, a religious scholar who lives in Edmonton's Old Strathcona neighbourhood, about the need for difference and conviviality—rather than homogeneity—in communities.

On Commercial Drive, people from all walks of life rub shoulders with one another on lively sidewalks. Jeremy Klaszus speaks with longtime community member Zakir Suleman to find out more about what makes this many-layered neighbourhood work.

Jeremy Klaszus sits down with Lisa Murphy Lamb, director of Loft 112, to explore how she has welcomed—and been welcomed by—her neighbours in East Village.

A conversation with three of Calgary's next city councillors: Jasmine Mian (Ward 3), Courtney Walcott (Ward 8) and Kourtney Penner (Ward 11).

Jeremy Klaszus speaks with John Fischer, co-chair of the Indigenous Gathering Place Society of Calgary, to find out more about the project—how it's taken shape, and why it’s needed.

It's municipal election forum season! Six mayoral hopefuls are asked about the costs of new communities and the future of the Green Line. This episode features audio from the Calgary Real Estate Board mayoral forum on September 14. Featuring Jan Damery, Jeff Davison, Jeromy Farkas, Brad Field, Jyoti Gondek and Grace Yan.