R-CG changed the math on inner-city lots, but not everywhere, and not equally. Where the new zoning creates real value, where it doesn't, and what to check before you buy.
In 2024, Calgary rezoned most of its low-density residential land to R-CG, allowing up to four units on lots that previously held one. Two years on, the effect on inner-city land values is real, but it is nothing like uniform.
Corner lots and wide parcels near main streets have priced in their rowhouse potential almost completely. Narrow mid-block lots in mature neighbourhoods have barely moved, because the economics there still favour a semi-detached pair, exactly what was permitted before.
“The zoning sets the ceiling. The lot sets the price.”
What should a buyer actually check? Three things before an offer: servicing capacity (a fourplex needs water and sanitary connections the lot may not have), tree protection (a protected boulevard elm can erase a third unit), and lane access, which determines whether parking works without a variance.
None of this requires a consultant to find. A development-permit history search is free, and the City's servicing maps are public. We run this screen on every lot we buy, and we'll run it with you before you commit to one.