The Missing Mddl

Last week, we attended BEINFILL x Mddl: Building Capacity in Middle (Infill) Housing, an event hosted by IDEA.

Alkarim, the founder of Mddl, took center stage, delivering eye-opening data insights on the housing crisis. The gap between housing needs and forecasted builds is staggering—off by hundreds of thousands. The takeaway? Housing is evolving, and perhaps the greatest opportunity in cities isn't in single-family homes or high-rise towers but in duplexes, townhomes, and row housing.

Photo Source: mddl

The first panel, expertly moderated by Ranon Soans of Clarity Development, explored the challenges developers face during acquisition and entitlement in Edmonton. Topics ranged from tree bylaws to EPCOR oversight and city responsibility.

Tai Ziola, an architect and partner at Dialog, emphasized the importance of early design feedback and addressing building code complexities sooner rather than later. Taking plans to infill fire protection assessments or plans examiners earlier in the process can help identify potential code issues—saving developers time and headaches.

Lyla Peters, Director of Development Approvals and Inspections for the City of Edmonton, noted that missing or inconsistent information in DP and BP applications frequently causes confusion for her team. To improve this, she sees the city investing in automation tools to make the submission process as seamless and intuitive as possible.

Events like these help raise the tide for everyone. And if the "boats" in this metaphor are more housing for all, then by sharing knowledge, we’re heading in the right direction—toward building more homes, sustainably and with great design.