Edmonton may allow owners of larger yards in older neighbourhoods to subdivide their properties into smaller lots in an effort to provide more infill housing.

The bylaw would allow two smaller homes to be built on a 50-foot wide lot, something developer Trevor Hoover thinks is a great idea.

"We've built a number of homes on 25 foot wide lots what a better way to increase density in a city that's been crying out for this sort of thing for years."

But some homeowners fear that developers may not be able to resist building bigger homes on the smaller lots.

"It may in fact be a large house, large garage on a compact lot which would create some problems for the neighbours — an overshadowing or a loss of privacy," said Bev Zubot with the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.

Hoover, whose company specializes in building infill homes, said there would have to be safeguards against huge homes.

"We call those type of homes the McMansions and it's definitely a concern," he said. "Just one of those things you're going to be fighting in every community, in every city, right across Canada."

City council will hold a public hearing on this bylaw next week.

The city wants 25 per cent of all new development to occur in older neighbourhoods by 2020, a distant target at this point.