MDL 301 - Permitting, Consents, and Stakeholder Engagement

Course Description

What is mddl U?

mddl U is Canada’s first professional education program dedicated exclusively to small-scale and missing middle housing development. The program is intended as a practical, skills-based training program for early to mid-career development professionals, emerging small scale developers, municipal planners, and community builders who want to understand how to move middle housing projects from concept to construction. 

How is the course structured? 

mddl U is an online, self-paced course. It is open for registration across Canada, and students currently enrolled in a post-secondary program anywhere in the country are eligible for a small discount by emailing hello@mddl.co.

The full course is a 100-hour professional education program with six courses. Participants have 6 weeks to complete each course. 

• Course 1 (pre-requisite for all following courses) serves as the foundational prerequisite and introduces the middle housing ecosystem, policy context, and development process.
• Courses 2–6 explore specialized topics such as feasibility, financing, approvals, and project delivery. 

Courses can be taken individually or completed together to earn the full certificate. Participants have up to four years to complete the full certificate. 

Who is the program designed for?

mddl U is designed to help build development expertise and capacity among those who are in the middle housing ecosystem. The intent of the program is to train individuals to help ease the delivery of middle housing - ranging from construction and financing of projects, to streamlining the regulatory and permitting processes. Participants do not need prior development experience.

Course Description 

This course examines the regulatory, policy, and approval frameworks that shape how middle housing projects are reviewed, approved, and delivered across Canadian jurisdictions. Learners will explore the distinct roles of federal, provincial, and municipal governments in regulating housing, and develop practical skills in interpreting official plans, zoning by-laws, and building codes. The course walks through the full approvals pathway, from development permits and rezoning processes to building permits, inspections, and occupancy, highlighting the documentation, coordination, and decision-making required at each stage. In parallel, the course emphasizes the importance of interest-holder engagement, equipping learners with tools to analyze community dynamics, address opposition, and facilitate constructive dialogue throughout the project lifecycle. By the end of the course, participants will be prepared to navigate complex regulatory environments, assemble complete permit applications, and work effectively with municipalities and communities to advance middle housing projects.

Course Details

Learning Outcomes:

• Analyse the multilayered regulatory environment governing middle housing in Canada by identifying the roles of federal, provincial, and municipal governments and interpreting how official plans, zoning by-laws, and building codes shape development outcomes.   
• Explain the applicant-led rezoning process by preparing required documentation, engaging with planning staff through pre-application meetings, and navigating the stages of municipal review and council decision-making.                                     
• Prepare a Development Permit application for a middle housing project by integrating architectural, landscape, civil, structural, and mechanical/electrical requirements and articulating the professional roles involved in design development. 
• Navigate the full permitting-to-occupancy pathway by preparing a complete Building Permit application, applying National Building Code and provincial certification requirements, managing construction inspections, and responding appropriately to municipal appeals processes. 
• Explain a structured Interest-holder analysis and design a comprehensive engagement strategy that anticipates opposition, builds community support, and applies effective communication techniques across pre-application and formal public processes.  
• Interpret and apply zoning regulations, including density limits, form-based rules, overlays, and neighbourhood plans to determine permitted development options and evaluate whether rezoning or redesignation is required.