Andrew Stevens Ward 3

Regina has failed to meet intensification targets it set for itself over a decade ago. The period of economic and population growth between 2001 and 2014 was a lost opportunity for our community, and we have fallen behind our closest comparison to the north (Saskatoon). It's long overdue for Council and the City leadership to do something about it. Here's what we know.

Council has been presented with a handful of studies and reports over the last four years that outlines stakeholder feedback and expert analysis about what it will take to increase the population in Regina's core neighborhoods. The challenges are driven by a variety of factors like perceptions of public safety and community wellness, market driven demand, a development industry that favour's greenfield growth, the deliberate and incidental underdevelopment of our inner city, crumbling infrastructure, economic risks, an underinvestment in services like public transit, among other factors. Don't let anyone tell you we need yet another, high level study. Council and City leadership has all the information at their finger tips that would empower us to make short and long term investments.

Here's the most recent market analysis that provides a sketch of resident feedback, market demand, an income breakdown by neighborhood, a map of socio-economic divides in our city, rental versus owned housing inventory, and a bunch of other valuable data. The studying is done. It's time for good policy and planning.

Download the report here from the September 7, 2022 Executive Committee agenda.