BEPPLE – We’re now 100,000 strong, and we need more ‘gentle density’

 

WITHOUT A FANFARE. Without a hullabaloo, Kamloops passed the 100,000 mark in population. The 2022 annual report for the City of Kamloops released earlier this year listed the city’s population at 99,233.

But this week, in council chambers, the KAMPLAN Snapshot presentation stated that our population as of 2022 is now 103,159 according to BC Stats.

Kamloops has joined the “big leagues” of Canadian cities. Fewer than 70 cities out of 5,100 municipalities and local governments in Canada are larger than 100,000.

People are moving to Kamloops because there are opportunities here and because it is a great place to live.

But growing has its challenges. First and foremost is building housing to keep up with demand.

By 2039, the population is projected to be just over 120,000 based on a 1.5 percent population growth. Accommodating 20,000 more people in Kamloops by 2039 means we need more housing. Enough for 1,250 more people a year.

In the past, Kamloops grew by building single family houses. The city grew by sprawling ever outward. Currently 90 percent of land zoned for housing is low density, that is single family or duplexes. Meanwhile only 5 percent is medium density and 5 percent is high density. But we’re running out of land.

Now is the time for infill. Going forward, more housing needs to be medium and high density. We need lot splitting, four-plexes and infills We need gentle density.

This week two small infill rezoning developments were approved on the North Shore. One was for a six unit townhouse development, where once there were two houses. The other development was for 10 units over two large lots.

With these two developments, where once there were four housing units, there will now be 16. These are excellent examples of gentle density.

These two developments are good news for people needing housing in Kamloops. The developments will fit into the neighborhoods. They will provide the “missing middle” of moderately priced housing for families.

With so much demand for housing, I expect more similar rezoning applications to come forward.

Often times, neighbours oppose infills and gentle densification. Traffic is a concern. Parking is a worry. People want their single family residential neighbourhoods to remain the same as they have been for 50 or 80 years.

But more traffic is created from urban sprawl from building out at the edges of the city than by creating small infill developments near the core. Parking is made easier near the centre of the city by having better options such as transit and biking. Unlimited sprawl at the edges has a higher cost for everyone in terms of traffic, roads and infrastructure than gentle density at the core.

As Kamloops grows from 100,000 to 120,000 and more, there will be more and more gentle density building projects all over town. Large lots will be split to create smaller lots. Where once there was a single family house, a duplex with basement suites will be built. More projects will take two lots and create six or 10 townhouse units.

Kamloops is growing, and we need housing. We’re 100,000 strong: housing is needed. And we’ll be doing it one gentle density project at a time.

Nancy Bepple is a Kamloops City councillor with a strong interest in community building projects.