Jacob Loo Dawang

@jacobdawang.com

1407 Followers 431 Following

your local data scientist and housing advocate @growtogetheryeg.bsky.social đź“Ť Edmonton, AB https://www.jacobdawang.com

A row of rowhomes with a pickup parked in front
MP ana Roberts sitting in her office with text boomer caucus overlaid.
A line graph titled "Where are homes being built relative to LRT? Cumulative distribution of homes by distance from nearest LRT stop." The y-axis shows the cumulative share of homes from 0% to 100%, and the x-axis shows the distance from the nearest LRT stop in kilometers, ranging from 0 to 8 km. A vertical dashed line highlights the 800-meter (0.8 km) mark. Multiple colored lines represent individual years from 2009 to 2026. Most years follow a closely clustered, steady diagonal trajectory, showing that roughly 20% to 25% of homes were built within 1 km of an LRT stop, and 50% were built within 3 to 4 km. However, the lines for recent years—specifically 2024, 2025, and 2026 (shaded in lighter orange and yellow tones)—diverge significantly, showing a much steeper upward curve. In these recent years, nearly 30% to 35% of homes were built within 800 meters, and roughly 70% to 75% were built within 2 km of an LRT stop, indicating a major shift toward transit-oriented housing development. The chart footer attributes the data to Jacob Dawang and City of Edmonton Open Data.
A multi-panel line chart titled "Homes permitted by neighbourhood type and project type" tracking full-year data from 2009 to 2025, with 2026 projected from H1 data. The data is credited to Jacob Dawang, City of Edmonton Open Data. The image is split into four panels representing neighborhood types, each plotting the number of homes permitted (y-axis, 0 to over 3,000) over time (x-axis, 2010 to 2025): Downtown: Shows very low permitting activity across all project types, generally staying well under 1,000 homes. Mature: Highlights a massive spike in "Fiveplex to Eightplex" permits starting around 2023, surging past 3,000 by 2026. "9+ Apartments" show highly volatile peaks and valleys, spiking around 2021 and 2024 before dropping. Between mature and Henday: "Single detached" homes and "9+ Apartments" historically led but have been on a downward trend or highly volatile, with "9+ Apartments" peaking sharply around 2021 and 2025 before dropping. Outside Henday: Dominated strongly by "Single detached" homes, which consistently peaked near or above 2,500 permits throughout the 2010s and 2020s. "Duplex to Fourplex" and "9+ Apartments" represent the next highest categories, with apartments showing a sharp peak around 2015 and 2024. A legend on the right identifies seven project types by color: Single detached, Addition/Conversion, Backyard House, Duplex to Fourplex, Fiveplex to Eightplex, 9+ Row House, and 9+ Apartment.
A faceted area chart titled "Homes permitted by neighbourhood type and project type," showing data from the full years 2009–2025, with a 2026 projection from H1 multiplied by 2.1. The y-axis shows "Homes permitted" ranging from 0 to over 8,000, and the x-axis tracks the "Year" from 2010 to 2026. The bottom caption credits "Jacob Dawang, City of Edmonton Open Data." The chart is divided into four facets by neighborhood type: Downtown: Shows consistently low volume, rarely exceeding a few hundred permits, mostly composed of 9+ Apartments. Mature: Shows a steady increase over time, with a massive spike starting around 2024, peaking at over 6,000 permits in 2025. The growth and peak are driven heavily by 9+ Apartments, 9+ Row Houses, and missing middle housing types like Duplex to Fourplex and Fiveplex to Eightplex, while single-detached permits shrink to nearly zero. Between mature and Henday: Fluctuates between 2,000 and 4,000 permits. Single-detached homes make up a notable portion historically, but decline significantly by 2026 as multi-unit project types grow. Outside Henday: Shows the highest historical volumes, peaking near 7,000 in 2015 and over 8,000 in 2024. This area is historically dominated by a massive volume of Single detached homes (dark purple) and 9+ Apartments, though single-detached permits show a sharp drop in the 2026 projection. A legend on the right lists the stacked project types from top to bottom: Single detached, Addition/Conversion, Backyard House, Duplex to Fourplex, Fiveplex to Eightplex, 9+ Row House, and 9+ Apartment.
A stacked area chart titled "Homes permitted by project type" showing historical data from 2009 to 2025, with a projection for 2026 based on first-half data. The data is credited to Jacob Dawang, using City of Edmonton Open Data. The vertical axis measures the number of "Homes permitted" from 0 to 15,000+, and the horizontal axis tracks the "Year" from 2009 to 2026. The chart tracks seven categories of housing project types, stacked from top to bottom: Single detached (dark navy blue, forming the top layer) Addition/Conversion (deep purple) Backyard House (medium purple) Duplex to Fourplex (magenta) Fiveplex to Eightplex (coral pink) 9+ Row House (dark orange) 9+ Apartment (light orange/peach, forming the base layer) Key Trends: Total permitted homes grew steadily from under 5,000 in 2009 to a peak of over 12,500 in 2015, driven largely by single-detached housing and 9+ apartments. Following a decline and stabilization between 2016 and 2019 (averaging around 8,500 to 10,000 homes), permits spiked dramatically to an all-time high of nearly 18,500 in 2025. The 2025 peak shows a significant contraction in the proportion of single-detached homes relative to previous peaks, replaced by massive growth in multi-unit categories—specifically "9+ Apartment", "Fiveplex to Eightplex", and "Duplex to Fourplex". The 2026 projection shows a downward turn from the 2025 peak, dropping back toward approximately 14,000 homes.
A hare cowering by the side of a sidewalk.
When short-term rental regulations were introduced in 2019, it was Administration’s position that the general use of a short-term rental property was intended to be for lodging, similar to long-term rentals aside from the length of stay. However, no minimum length of stay was explicitly specified, which has had the unintended consequence of allowing short-term rental properties to be rented on an hourly basis. Administration does not have evidence to suggest that hourly rentals are regularly occurring in short-term rentals. However, recognizing community concern around potential negative impacts of such stays, Administration is proposing amendments to effectively prohibit hourly rentals by establishing a minimum booking period of 12 hours.
Whether the priority is groceries, bills, rent or fuel, the Energy Rebate ensures flexible support. With guaranteed support for every eligible Albertan – driver or not – eligible two-adult households will receive $200 in immediate relief that can be used for any household need. Families may also benefit from additional $100 rebates with each eligible adult family member or child aged 18 or older living in the same home.
Plot showing daylight hours under standard time vs daylight time
Plot showing Edmonton daylight hours on daylight time vs standard time.
Stacked bar chart showing small infill (5-8 unit) mortgage loan insurance select approvals in Edmonton from 2022 to 2025, categorized by affordability level. In 2022, approximately 15 loans were approved, mostly at Level 3 affordability. In 2023, this increased to about 95 loans, still predominantly Level 3 with a small Level 2 portion. In January 2024, Edmonton's zoning bylaw renewal (ZBR) came into force, marked by a dashed line. Following ZBR implementation, 2024 saw a sharp increase to approximately 175 loans approved, with a more diverse affordability mix: primarily Level 3, a larger Level 2 segment, and a notable Level 1 segment. In 2025, approvals decreased to about 105 loans, with Level 3 dominating and Level 2 representing a smaller share. The chart illustrates the impact of zoning policy changes on small infill development financing.
Line chart showing the cumulative share of new homes by distance from the nearest LRT stop, for each year from 2009 to 2026. The 2026 Q1 line sits above and to the left of all previous years, indicating a record-high share of homes built close to transit. 38% of Q1 2026 homes were permitted within 800m of an LRT stop, marked by a dashed vertical line.
Table comparing RS Zone building permits by unit count in Q1 2025 vs Q1 2026. 8-unit projects dominate both periods, growing from 40 permits (320 homes) in Q1 2025 to 59 permits (472 homes) in Q1 2026. Total small-scale infill homes rose from 655 to 886 year-over-year.
Stacked area charts showing homes permitted by project type from 2009–2025, with 2026 projected from Q1 data, broken down by neighbourhood type. The Mature panel shows a dramatic spike starting in 2024, driven by Fiveplex to Eightplex rowhomes, and is projected to reach a new record in 2026. Outside the Henday remains dominated by single detached homes.
looked at how many of those units are actually being built because of the blanket rezoning, and how many of those were actually at an affordable price point,” he said. Article content “Typically, it’s all about a $600,000 bungalow being torn down and being replaced with four $700,000 luxury condos. Article content “Young people have been sold this false promise that as long as we build more and more expensive condos for the developers, housing will somehow trickle down to them. Article content “That’s a pipe dream.”
A lineup of people for via trains at Union station.
Picture of a crowd in front of a slide that says common wealth Canada. Eric Lombardi is on the left and Ken Yang is on the right.
Map of the Copenhagen finger plan where planned outward expansion follows train lines.
This image is a grouped bar chart titled **"Graph 1 - Height Distribution in the RS Zone by Housing Type: January 2024 - November 2025."** It compares the percentage of development permits across eight different building height categories for three types of housing. ### Key Data Components: * **Y-Axis:** Proportion of Development Permits (0% to 40%). * **X-Axis:** Building Height in meters (m), ranging from "7.0 m or Less" up to "10.1 - 10.5 m." * **Legend (Housing Types & Sample Sizes):** * **Single Detached Housing (Light Blue):** 482 permits. * **Semi-Detached Housing (Medium Blue):** 210 permits. * **Row Housing (Dark Blue):** 506 permits. ### Significant Trends: * **Peak Heights:** The most common height for all housing types is the **8.1 - 8.5 m** range. Semi-detached housing peaks sharply here at approximately **36%**. * **Row Housing:** This type shows a secondary peak at **8.6 - 9.0 m** (roughly 26%) and has the highest proportion of buildings in the tallest category (**10.1 - 10.5 m**) at nearly 18%. * **Lower Heights:** Development permits for buildings **7.5 m or less** are relatively rare, with each housing type accounting for less than 10% of their respective totals in those categories.
Query successful A line graph titled "Number of homes permitted by area type" showing data for mature neighborhoods from 2009 to 2025 in Edmonton, Alberta. The vertical axis represents the "Number of Homes" (0 to over 4,000) and the horizontal axis represents the "year." The graph tracks two categories: Urban Mix (Teal Line): Remains relatively steady between 500 and 1,200 permits from 2009 until 2023. It then shows a sharp, near-vertical spike, reaching over 4,500 homes by 2025. Node or Corridor (Coral Line): Shows more volatility throughout the period. It generally trends upward, with notable peaks around 2,000 permits in 2020 and 2,300 in 2022, before ending 2025 at approximately 1,900 permits. The source is attributed to Jacob Dawang, City of Edmonton Open Data.
Query successful A stacked bar chart titled "Redeveloping Area Units within Nodes and Corridors," showing data for the City of Edmonton from 2020 to 2025. The chart compares the percentage of redevelopment units located "In Node or Corridor" (light blue) versus "Out of Node or Corridor" (dark navy). Data Trends The percentage of units In Node or Corridor fluctuates significantly over the six-year period: 2020: 73% In / 27% Out 2021: 43% In / 57% Out 2022: 68% In / 32% Out 2023: 48% In / 52% Out 2024: 35% In / 65% Out 2025: 42% In / 58% Out The City of Edmonton logo is visible in the bottom right corner.
Furthermore, the City Plan includes phasing according to population horizons that do not foresee even the start of a shift of development to Nodes and Corridors until after the 1.25 Million population horizon. Within the 1 to 1.25 Million population horizon, “Anticipated residential growth in the developing area will be guided by existing plan approvals such as Area Structure Plans and Neighbourhood Structure Plans. Anticipated growth in the redeveloping area will be strongly influenced by market demand and previously identified priorities with attached investment programs (e.g., Blatchford, downtown and Whyte Avenue).” It’s only at the 1.25 to 1.5 Million population horizon that the City Plan plans for “Anticipated residential growth begins to reflect the shift in development that is needed to achieve the land use concept. Development accelerates in specific nodes and corridors in response to the activation activities that have taken place in the previous time horizon.” (City Plan, p. 145) Even if Nodes and Corridors were intended to contain the majority of growth, the City Plan would never have intended for this to happen until later population horizons.
To achieve City Plan goals and intentions, the majority of redevelopment is planned to occur within the nodes and corridor network. This is important to achieve the The City Plan target of a 15-minute district supported by high-frequency transit, optimized infrastructure use and a vibrant mix of housing and employment that fosters a sustainable, climate-resilient urban form. Since The City Plan was approved in 2020, all but one year has seen the majority of redevelopment happen outside the node and corridor network.
Bernie sanders meme captioned "I am once again asking you to email council about the RS Zone."
Thank you for the consultation with the people that matter. I would imagine it would be hard for existing...
This image presents two diagrams comparing cross-sections of 27 Avenue, each with accompanying text. The top diagram shows the existing 'Main Street' cross section in the current DC2 Zone. It depicts a wide, pedestrian-oriented streetscape with people walking, cycling, and sitting at cafe tables. Large trees are planted in a broad central median and along the sidewalks. The text below reads: "The existing 27 Avenue 'Main Street' cross section in the current DC2 Zone. Pedestrian modal priority is emphasized with 2.5 m wide sidewalks, 2.5 m treed boulevards and 10 m open space median. Vehicles are allowed in the drive lanes beside the median." The bottom diagram shows the proposed 27 Avenue 'Centre Street' cross section in the Special Area. This version features four cars parked or driving in the center, flanked by sidewalks and treed boulevards on both sides. The trees appear smaller, and there are fewer pedestrians visible compared to the top diagram. The text below reads: "The proposed 27 Avenue 'Centre Street' cross section in the Special Area. The pedestrian environment will feature a minimum 3.0 m wide sidewalk and a 1.7 m wide treed boulevard. Street crossing distances will be reduced by replacing angle parking with curb extensions where necessary."
An ice sheet bike lane
On the first point, Edmonton shows that a lot of housing can be added without directly affecting very many properties. Here we are indebted to housing advocate Jacob Dawang, whose data crunching revealed how few Edmonton properties needed to become multiplexes to create many homes. Mr. Dawang shows that of approximately 80,000 residential properties in Edmonton's established neighbourhoods, 310 were issued multiplex permits. These developments would total about 2,300 homes. The City of Edmonton confirmed these figures.
A table titled "Number of permits and homes added by number of units permitted" showing 2025 building permits from the City of Edmonton Open Data. The table contains four columns: Project Type, Number of homes added in permit, Number of permits issued, and Total number of homes added. The table data is as follows: * **New SFH:** 1 home added per permit, 186 permits issued, 186 total homes added. * **Backyard House:** Ranging from 1 to 4 homes per permit. There were 115 permits for 1 home, 70 permits for 2 homes (140 total), 2 permits for 3 homes (6 total), and 10 permits for 4 homes (40 total). * **Duplex to Fourplex:** Ranging from 2 to 4 homes per permit. There were 78 permits for 2 homes (156 total), 6 permits for 3 homes (18 total), and 113 permits for 4 homes (452 total). * **Fiveplex to Eightplex:** Ranging from 5 to 8 homes per permit. There were 16 permits for 5 homes (80 total), 45 permits for 6 homes (270 total), 26 permits for 7 homes (182 total), and 228 permits for 8 homes (1,824 total). At the bottom of the image, the data is attributed to Jacob Dawang, City of Edmonton Open Data.
A line graph titled "Total number of homes by project type" showing Edmonton building permit data from 2009 to 2025. The y-axis measures the total number of homes from 0 to 6,000, and the x-axis shows the years. The chart tracks several housing categories: * **9+ Apartment** (light yellow line) shows the highest growth, surging to over 6,000 units in 2025. * **New SFH** (black line) fluctuates over time, ending 2025 at approximately 3,300 units. * **Fiveplex to Eightplex** (orange-red line) shows a dramatic historic spike, rising from under 1,000 units in 2023 to nearly 4,000 units in 2025, surpassing single-family homes (SFH) for the first time. * **Duplex to Fourplex** (pink line) follows a steady upward trend, ending near 3,000 units. * **9+ Row House**, **Addition/Conversion**, and **Backyard House** remain relatively low, all staying under 1,000 units through 2025. The data is attributed to Jacob Dawang via City of Edmonton Open Data.
A summary table titled "Number of permits and homes added by number of units permitted" for 2025 building permits. The table has three columns: Number of homes added in permit, Number of permits issued, and Total number of homes added. The data entries are as follows: 5 units: 16 permits issued, totaling 80 homes added. 6 units: 45 permits issued, totaling 270 homes added. 7 units: 26 permits issued, totaling 182 homes added. 8 units: 228 permits issued, totaling 1,824 homes added. The table is attributed to Jacob Dawang, City of Edmonton Open Data.
A summary table titled "RS Zone intensity: comparing property redevelopment rates to housing gains" based on 2025 building permit data. The table is organized into five columns: Neighbourhood type, Number of 5-8 unit permits, Number of properties, Percent of properties redeveloped, and Number of homes added. The data for each row is as follows: Mature: 310 permits, 80,050 properties, 0.39% redeveloped, 2,321 homes added. Between mature and Henday: 5 permits, 66,204 properties, 0.01% redeveloped, 35 homes added. Outside Henday: 0 permits, 2 properties, 0.00% redeveloped, 0 homes added. The table is attributed to Jacob Dawang, City of Edmonton Open Data.
A line graph showing the cumulative distribution of homes added by their distance from the closest Light Rail Transit (LRT) stop in Edmonton from 2009 to 2025. X-axis: Distance from the closest LRT stop in kilometers, ranging from 0 to 8 km. A dashed vertical line marks the 800m (0.8 km) threshold. Y-axis: Cumulative proportion of units added, ranging from 0% to 100%. Data Lines: Multiple colored lines represent individual years from 2009 to 2025. Key Trend: The line for 2025 (pale yellow) is significantly higher and further to the left than all previous years. This indicates a record-high proportion of new homes being built closer to transit; specifically, approximately 30% of units in 2025 were added within 800m of an LRT stop, compared to a range of roughly 5% to 20% in prior years. Overall Distribution: While most years follow a similar diagonal trajectory, the 2025 data shows a distinct upward "bow," reaching nearly 75% of cumulative units within 3 km of a stop. The chart is attributed to Jacob Dawang using City of Edmonton Open Data and includes existing, under construction, and funded LRT stops.
A multi-panel line graph (small multiples) breaking the data down by geographic area. The panels show: Mature: Shows a massive spike in Fiveplex to Eightplex (Coral) and 9+ Apartments (Cream) in 2025, reaching roughly 2,600 and 2,500 units respectively. Outside Henday: Dominated historically by New SFH (Black), which remains high at roughly 2,600 units in 2025, followed by a fluctuating number of apartments. Between Mature and Henday: Shows a more even distribution with 9+ Apartments (Cream) as the leading growth category in 2025 at roughly 2,000 units. Downtown: Consistently dominated by 9+ Apartments (Cream), though at lower total volumes compared to other areas.
A line graph titled "Total number of homes by project type" showing Edmonton building permit data from 2009 to 2025. The y-axis measures the total number of homes from 0 to 6,000, and the x-axis shows the years. The chart tracks several housing categories: * **9+ Apartment** (light yellow line) shows the highest growth, surging to over 6,000 units in 2025. * **New SFH** (black line) fluctuates over time, ending 2025 at approximately 3,300 units. * **Fiveplex to Eightplex** (orange-red line) shows a dramatic historic spike, rising from under 1,000 units in 2023 to nearly 4,000 units in 2025, surpassing single-family homes (SFH) for the first time. * **Duplex to Fourplex** (pink line) follows a steady upward trend, ending near 3,000 units. * **9+ Row House**, **Addition/Conversion**, and **Backyard House** remain relatively low, all staying under 1,000 units through 2025. The data is attributed to Jacob Dawang via City of Edmonton Open Data.
The Mature Neighbourhood Overlay was first contemplated in 1997 through a Mature Neighbourhood Study mandated by Council to examine the issue of sensitive infill development, with the objective of increasing inner-city residential re-investment. At that time, inner-city residents were voicing objections to residential infill developments that they believed were not compatible with their communities. Belgravia, McKernan, and Parkallen had been granted neighbourhood-specific overlays, however, the homebuilding industry, at that time, objected to neighbourhood-specific overlays expressing a preference for a city-wide approach. In 2017 a revised Mature Neighbourhood Overlay was adopted to support more and better infill by continuing to encourage development that responds to the context of a property, increasing predictability in the approvals process, and providing more design flexibility for new housing.
Whyte Ave at night showing a median created out of a snowbank
Nimby tears mug
A townhouse destroying the neighbourhood.
“What I don't like is, as a resident, I have no say as to what is going in behind me, beside me. I have no input as a resident, as a taxpayer, I don't think that's proper,” she added. “I think we should have some say as to what's going up pretty much in our backyard, and I like to see all stay as a small town community. I grew up here.”
Ocean of single family homes in some suburb of nowheresville, GTA.
Site context for RSM h12 rezoning near McKernan Belgravia station
Nodes and corridors around McKernan Belgravia station. Secondary corridor = low rise throughout and midrise on arterial or collectors.
This is a balanced plan for growth that expands housing choice and affordability while protecting our trees, our heritage, and the character of our most unique neighbourhoods. It makes sure infill benefits everyone and creates a more affordable city for all Edmontonians.
Screenshot from Tim cartmells infill platform.