Housing & Zoning Terms#
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) / Secondary Suite#
A smaller, self-contained housing unit on the same lot as a primary residence — such as a basement suite, garage suite, or garden suite.
Why it matters: Winnipeg’s July 2024 rapid zoning amendments legalized detached secondary suites (garden suites) in established residential neighbourhoods. Secondary suites are an important source of affordable rental housing and allow homeowners to offset mortgage costs.
Learn more: City of Winnipeg — Infill Housing
Board of Adjustment / Development Appeal#
A quasi-judicial body that hears appeals of decisions made under the Winnipeg Zoning By-law, including variance requests and conditional use approvals.
Why it matters: When a development application is refused, or when a property owner seeks relief from a zoning standard, the appeal goes to the Board of Adjustment. Hearings are public and open to comment from neighbours and community groups.
Learn more: City of Winnipeg — Development Appeals
Conditional Use#
A land use that is permitted in a zoning district only with approval from the Zoning Committee or Community Committee, typically with conditions attached to protect neighbouring properties.
Why it matters: Many higher-density housing types and mixed-use buildings require conditional use approval in Winnipeg. The 2025 infill housing zoning changes reduced the number of housing types requiring conditional use, allowing duplexes through fourplexes to proceed as-of-right in most residential zones.
Learn more: City of Winnipeg — Development Applications
Heritage Building / Character Overlay#
A designation protecting buildings or areas of historical, architectural, or cultural significance. In Winnipeg, heritage buildings are designated under The Historic Resources Act (provincial) or by City by-law. The Exchange District has additional protections under the Downtown Winnipeg Zoning By-law.
Why it matters: Winnipeg’s Exchange District is a National Historic Site of Canada with approximately 150 heritage buildings. Heritage designations can prevent demolition and require consultation on exterior alterations. Character overlays in older neighbourhoods may also limit infill building heights or setbacks.
See also: Exchange District
Learn more: City of Winnipeg Heritage | Manitoba Historic Resources Branch
Infill Development#
Construction on vacant or underutilized land within an already-developed area, rather than on the urban fringe.
Why it matters: Winnipeg needs approximately 82,000 new housing units by 2040. Complete Communities 2.0 establishes infill as a priority: densifying existing neighbourhoods reduces infrastructure costs, supports transit ridership, and limits sprawl. The 2025 city-wide infill housing by-law amendments were designed to accelerate infill by removing zoning barriers.
Learn more: City of Winnipeg — Infill Housing | YIMBY Winnipeg
Missing Middle Housing#
A range of housing types between detached single-family homes and mid-rise apartment buildings — including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, and small apartment buildings (typically 5–12 units).
Why it matters: Missing middle housing was largely zoned out of Winnipeg’s residential neighbourhoods after World War II, contributing to a housing affordability crisis. The 2025 infill housing by-law now allows fourplexes as-of-right in most R1 and R2 zones city-wide, with taller fourplexes (up to 39 feet) within 800 metres of frequent transit.
Learn more: YIMBY Winnipeg — Missing Middle | City of Winnipeg Infill Housing
Mixed-Use Development#
A building or project that combines residential units with commercial space — typically retail, office, or services on the ground floor with apartments above.
Why it matters: Winnipeg’s most walkable and vibrant neighbourhoods — Osborne Village, Corydon Avenue, the Exchange District — feature mixed-use buildings that put residents within walking distance of daily needs. Complete Communities 2.0 explicitly supports mixed-use development along transit corridors and commercial nodes.
Learn more: City of Winnipeg — Complete Communities 2.0
Variance#
Permission from the Board of Adjustment to deviate from a specific zoning requirement (such as setbacks, height limits, or lot coverage) when strict compliance creates an unreasonable hardship.
Why it matters: Older Winnipeg lots, particularly in the North End and inner city, often predate current zoning standards. Variances are common when owners renovate or add density to non-conforming lots.
Learn more: City of Winnipeg — Development Appeals
Zoning By-law#
The set of regulations that governs how land can be used, what can be built, and development standards (setbacks, height, density, parking) for each zoning district.
Why it matters: Winnipeg’s current Zoning By-law (No. 200/2006) is being comprehensively rewritten, with a new by-law targeted for completion by 2027. In the meantime, the city has been making Rapid Zoning Amendments to address housing supply.
See also: Complete Communities 2.0
Learn more: Winnipeg Zoning By-law | City of Winnipeg Zoning
Last updated: March 2026