Returning to Belgravia after a year away, I was struck by how much had changed.

At a local café, I picked up the latest edition of the Belgravia newsletter. Years ago, I contributed to the school page and photos from community events. This edition felt different. Nearly half of it was devoted to development notices — 38 notices in total and most for seven- or eight–unit buildings on previously single-unit lots.

Walking through the neighbourhood, the changes were impossible to miss. New developments now dominate streets once defined by mature trees and family homes. Restrictive covenant signs dot many front yards, and one home displayed a sign documenting correspondence with a developer over fence damage, alongside the developer’s denial of responsibility. Together, they reflected residents who felt they had run out of meaningful ways to have their voices heard.

I also met a former neighbour whose grandson and son-in-law were digging a trench around her home to protect it from flooding. Her house now sits across from a large apartment building. She told me her basement had never flooded before it was built. Whether the two are related, I don’t know. What struck me was that she may have been left dealing with consequences she had little opportunity to influence.

Nearby, a 142-unit apartment building currently under construction beside the LRT had a sign seeking rezoning approval for a restaurant patio in an area that, under the original plans, had been designated as a child play space. The play area was to complement the developer’s plans for day homes on the main floor and helped position the development as family-friendly. It was another reminder that promises made during rezoning applications are not certainties.

We spent more than a decade building our lives there because we believed it was an exceptional place to raise a family. We loved the river valley, the farmers markets, the festivals, the LRT, and neighbourhoods where people knew one another. Edmonton wasn’t simply where we lived — it was home.

When our neighbourhood began to change, our concern was never that it should remain frozen in time. Edmonton needs more housing, and neighbourhoods must evolve. What we wanted was thoughtful growth.

So we did what engaged citizens are encouraged to do. We attended public meetings, met with the developer, spoke with almost every city councillor, reviewed planning documents, prepared reports, and proposed compromises. We weren’t asking for development to stop. We were asking whether more housing could be added while better respecting the surrounding community.

None of our key compromises appeared in the final approval. More discouraging than the decision itself was the growing realization that the outcome seemed largely predetermined.

This isn’t just a story about Belgravia. Similar conversations are happening across Edmonton as neighbourhoods evolve. Too often, residents who have spent decades building their communities are dismissed as homeowners protecting property values rather than citizens raising legitimate questions about traffic, infrastructure, drainage, green space, and neighbourhood character. Their concerns become stereotypes instead of being considered on their merits.

A year ago, my family moved to Ontario after I was offered an exciting job opportunity. Leaving Edmonton should have been one of the hardest decisions we ever made. Instead, by the time we left, it was much easier than expected.

Not because I had stopped caring about Edmonton, but because I no longer felt my voice or the voices of so many engaged residents mattered. I increasingly felt like a pawn: expected to simply accept decisions made in the name of an ever-shifting “greater good.”

The solution isn’t to stop building. Edmonton needs more housing, and neighbourhoods will continue to evolve. The solution is to build better, to recognize that residents who participate in public engagement are not obstacles to overcome but partners who care deeply about their communities.

Edmonton deserves growth that builds communities, not just buildings. If the city wants people to continue choosing Edmonton — to build careers, raise families, volunteer, and invest in their neighbourhoods — it must ensure residents are genuine partners in shaping its future.

Roni Kraut is a physician, researcher, concerned citizen, and former Edmontonian.

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