New rules press HRM to allow more housing and improve emergency access

Nova Scotia is changing planning requirements for Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) to support housing growth and improve connections and emergency access in some communities.

What HRM must change:

• Allow residential buildings of comparable scale in zones that permit hotels, long-term care homes and similar overnight accommodations.
• Remove certain design requirements that can block mass timber residential buildings up to 12 storeys.
• Remove some limits on eligible conservation design developments based on when construction starts or when a lot was created.
• Allow residential development and subdivisions where new public streets would improve connectivity and emergency egress.

HRM must adopt the first set of changes by January 15, 2027, and update other planning documents by June 30, 2027.