Updating our Growth Plan: City of Regina Official Community Plan

The population growth forecasts that are being used to help inform the Growth Plan Review project come from the City's recent Population, Housing and Employment Forecast and Urban Land Needs Study (Watson Economists, 2024). This study includes a defined methodology for the forecasts based on the consultant's best practices. A copy of this study can be found under the 'Documents" tab on the Growth Plan Review Be Heard page.

Manufactured homes need to meet all zoning regulations prior to the approval of any development and building permits. With some exceptional areas, the Zoning Bylaw does not regulate aesthetics or specific architectural styles of buildings. We do not anticipate that manufactured homes will become the predominant building type, but will now be a permitted option. The City continues to engage with Community Associations as part of larger public engagement strategies to seek feedback and input to support growth.

The City of Regina is working alongside the City of Saskatoon to develop a Building to Net Zero Roadmap to help understand how we can better drive the community towards more efficient buildings. The federal Code Accelerator Fund is supporting this work.

The landfill is the highest GHG emission source for the City of Regina. To reduce those emissions, the City installed a gas collection system that collects a large portion of methane (produced from the decomposition of waste) and burns it through both a flare stack and a power facility that creates electricity. This effectively reduces emissions by about 30,000 tonnes annually (a major contributor to lowering our corporate GHG emissions) and produces enough electricity to power 1000 homes.

The City does not have plans to restrict construction and demolition (C&D) material from the landfill at this time, as it is used to help meet the slope requirements of the landfill to extend future capacity.

Climate data suggests wildfires are likely to increase as a hazard in the future, with potential impacts to events, construction and City operations. The City’s Resilient Regina Corporate Climate Adaptation Strategy lays out the City’s plan for adapting to climate change. The City is assessing options to make City facilities more resilient to climate change, as well as considering how our seasonal operations can impact our resiliency.

These homes are constructed in a controlled factory setting, which makes them more environmentally friendly compared to traditional on-site builds. Key benefits for this approach include reduced waste, faster build times, fewer resources needed and higher quality control and structural strength.

Heating, ventilation and air systems in these homes follow all applicable Energy Codes, CSA A277 standards and the City's Building Standards. Before placing a home on a lot, owners must apply for and receive building permit approval. This process ensures all required information is provided and that the home meets code compliance.

The City is committed to a balanced approach when it comes to the intensification of existing neighbourhoods and new development. The OCP requires that new neighbourhoods be designed and planned as complete neighbourhoods to achieve a minimum density of 50 people per hectare.

Detailed policy and regulations for neighbourhood development are outside the scope of the Growth Plan review. New neighbourhoods and changes to existing neighbourhoods are guided by Complete Communities policies within the Official Community Plan. Individual site development is guided by the Zoning Bylaw, which the City regularly refines to ensure outcomes meet community needs.

City Administration is also working on policies and guidelines to guide the development of streets to meet a wider range of transportation needs, including for pedestrians, transit, cycling and vehicle traffic.