In this episode of In Development, Ryan and Olivia chat with Travis Fong, President and Executive Director of YEGarden Suites. Travis shares about his passion for sustainability, its impact on urbanization and housing, and how YEGarden Suites came to be founded. From building for family proximity, to aging in place, to rental income, Travis dives into the main driving factors for this built form. Listen to the full episode to hear Travis outline the challenges for garden suite development, the growth and evolution of YEGarden Suites, and his thoughts on the future of housing typologies with Edmonton’s Zoning Bylaw Renewal initiative.
Originally from Halifax, Travis moved to Edmonton after graduating from Dalhousie University with an Honours BA in Sustainability and Political Science, with a minor in Economics. Travis also holds a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Waterloo. Travis’s studies focused on the efficiency and growth of cities from an environmental and financial sustainability lens.
Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Travis worked on multiple development projects including affordable seniors housing and renewable energy. In 2017, Travis co-founded YEGarden Suites, a non-profit that functions as an advocacy, education, and awareness organization to support the densification of Edmonton through homeowner-driven development. Through policy advocacy and citizen empowerment, YEGarden Suites has supported tens of millions of dollars of homeowner led investment into this housing form. Understanding the policy framework, and economic underpinnings behind Edmonton’s larger development strategy served the organization well as they proposed changes and alterations to the regulations which were arbitrarily restrictive and reducing positive housing outcomes. Edmonton’s backyard housing regulations are now among the strongest in North America, and Travis now serves as President and Executive Director of YEGarden Suites, and strives to deliver extraordinary value to homeowners who are considering making an investment on their own.