Alberta's surging oil economy is growing so quickly that service industries can't compete, budgets for infrastructure projects can't keep up with rising labour and material costs, and oil companies are building their own housing projects.
"Calgary is growing so fast that the city is moving ahead with plans to expand its footprint by annexing the countryside outside its boundaries. But the budget for infrastructure projects is being blown as costs of labour and materials both jump. One wastewater treatment plant, for example, now has a price tag of $370-million, up from last year's budgeted cost of $240-million.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said this week that Alberta is poised to break an almost 30-year-old record for new housing starts. The Canadian Real Estate Association recently reported the largest jump in sales volume for Canada, making the rise in resale prices seem like a lottery win.
The rental market is as tough to crack.
CMHC just projected that Calgary's vacancy rate will drop to 0.6 per cent this year and stay that way through 2007 -- the lowest rate in Canada. Edmonton's rental market is similarly tight at what CMHC projects as 1.5 per cent this year and 1 per cent next year.
Many newcomers are forced to live in trailers, tents and illegal basement suites.
The number of homeless people also seems to be on the rise. In 1992, when Calgary began its biennial count of the number of homeless in the city, there were 447 people without permanent shelter; this spring, the number reached 3,436. In Edmonton, the homeless population hovers at about 2,200."
FULL STORY: The short-handed economy
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie