The Kelowna Infill Housing Symposium is a free seminar aimed at property owners, developers, and builders, hosted by the City of Kelowna and Mddl, a Calgary-based developer. This event is being held to explore solutions for increasing the variety and quantity of housing in the city’s core neighborhoods. Recent provincial changes allow for the construction of up to six units on thousands of single lots in these areas.
Mddl co-founder Alkarim Devani highlighted that the seminar provides property owners with information and options they might not have considered, emphasizing that every middle housing, gentle density, or infill project starts with a homeowner. Devani stressed the importance of bringing developers, builders, property owners, and the community together, noting it as an opportunity for the city to collaborate with industry to unlock more housing.
The symposium will feature experts discussing topics such as regulatory changes affecting housing, strategies to support residents and developers, and steps for making infill housing a reality. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn from these discussions. Devani expressed the hope that by sharing information, mobilizing people to have access to all the information, and potentially pursuing one of these projects, the goal of the symposium will be achieved.
In 2016 and 2022, the city hosted infill challenge design competitions, which resulted in designs for the Infill Fast Track initiative launched this summer. The city has six pre-approved infill housing models for eligible lots, and architects who have submitted fast-track programs will present their designs. City planners and Canadian Home Builders Association members will also participate in the event.
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