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The Land Use Podcast is your home to discussion on a wide range of land use issues affecting public policy. If you're a landowner, planner, public official, conservationist, or involved in industry, we're a home for you! We are the Alberta Land Institute and based out of the University of Alberta.Follow us to keep up to dateWebsite: https://albertalandinstitute.caFacebook: https://facebook.com/AlbertaLandInstituteInstagram: https://instagram.com/ablandinstitute/X: https://twitter.com/ABLandInstituteLinkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/albertalandinstituteYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@albertalandinstitute9047
That stormwater pond is your rain barrel once reuse rules enter the conversation.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A measured look at Alberta's boreal carbon story through long-term plots and competing climate effects.
Alberta's boreal forests frame a climate question that seems simple until the measurements start to matter: how much carbon their biomass can take up, and how that capacity may change under shifting conditions.
A grounded look at how conservation easements can help private working lands support biodiversity.
Private land conservation gets a practical reframe here through conservation easements, treated less as a simple legal tool than as a negotiated choice about a property's future.
A grounded look at why stormwater reuse depends on timing, storage, infrastructure, and rules.
Land Use Podcast frames stormwater as a land-use issue: when ground is flattened, paved, and built over, runoff rises, and the waterways receiving it can carry the burden.
A measured look at native gardens as a more useful future for suburban space.
Suburban grass is treated here as a land-use choice, not just a default surface. The episode makes a steady case for native pollinator gardens as a more useful form of suburban space, linking native planting to year-round pollinator support, healthier soils through diversity,…
A practical look at how Canadian cities can grow while keeping ecosystem services in the decision-making frame.
Urban development is framed here as a question of what a city chooses to keep, not just what it can afford to build. The episode connects ecosystem services to the long life of community layouts, with attention to wetlands, stormwater ponds, and other green infrastructure that…
An interview with researcher Fangliang He about his work on boreal forest biomass and its implications for climate policy.
Aisha Wu of the Alberta Land Institute interviews Dr.
Laura Sandu of WaterSmart tells Aisha Wu that stormwater is water running off land after rain or snowmelt, and that its quality and quantity affect waterways, flooding, erosion, and riparian ecosystems.
The Land Use Podcast episode with Aisha Wu, Oscar Zapata, and Anna Karina Hidalgo argues that native pollinator gardens outperform conventional lawns on cost, ecosystem services, and social value.
["Aisha Wu of the Alberta Land Institute talks with Nick Barron, a planner and development officer at Lacombe County and former University of Alberta master's student, about ecosystem service values in urban development.", "Barron defines ecosystem services through examples such as a street tree, a wetland complex, Edmonton's River Valley, flood buffering, camping, fishing, and lumber.", "He argues that developers, planners, engineers, and environmental professionals all value the same landscape differently, which changes how green infrastructure is negotiated in council reports and development plans.", "The episode compares Saanich, Victoria, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Fredericton to show how stormwater ponds, rain gardens, bioswales, wetlands, and urban forests are implemented under different municipal pressures."]
Nicole Bonnett defines relocation as moving homes, infrastructure, assets, and people from hazards into safer locations.
This episode discusses landowners' perspectives on wind energy development in Alberta, focusing on the impact of a government moratorium and new land use restrictions.
This episode discusses the complexities of Alberta's water licensing system amid drought conditions, featuring an interview with a researcher studying water policy.
This episode discusses research on the carbon footprint of residential neighborhoods in Edmonton, Alberta, and the role of urban planning in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This episode discusses soil health in Alberta, its connection to sustainable agriculture, and the role of Indigenous knowledge, featuring an interview with environmental sustainability researcher Sukwinder Singh.
This episode discusses Edmonton's new zoning bylaw overhaul with a city planner.