The Empty City Lie: Why We Keep Building Out While Our Best Land Sits Wasted – Episode 131 with Chelsey Jersak
This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Chelsey Jersak, founder of Situate, to unpack one of the most overlooked opportunities in city building: infill development—and why it’s so hard to get right.
From her unexpected path into urban planning to launching a company that helps developers navigate the often confusing world of zoning and approvals, Chelsey shares how small, strategic changes can unlock massive potential in our existing neighborhoods. Together, they explore the environmental and social impact of infill, from reducing emissions to combating the growing loneliness epidemic in modern cities.
The conversation also dives into Wello Living, her innovative housing concept designed for the rise of roommate living and shifting lifestyle needs. This episode challenges us to rethink how we build our cities—not outward, but inward—and why the future of better living might already be right in front of us.
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More About Chelsey Jersak
Chelsey Jersak is a trailblazing urban planner and the founder of Situate, one of Canada’s fastest-growing planning firms, as well as the co-founder of Wello Living—a bold new housing development reimagining how we live, share, and build community.
With a career that spans real estate, policy reform, and systemic design, Chelsey is known for turning big ideas into real-world solutions. She helped amend Alberta’s Human Rights Act to allow children in apartment buildings, and today, she’s pioneering multi-bedroom, shared housing models that address affordability, loneliness, and the outdated myth of the nuclear family home.
Splitting her time between Edmonton and Mexico City, Chelsey offers a unique, cross-border perspective on urban development. Her work challenges conventional planning norms with a simple philosophy: build for real life, not outdated ideals.
Whether she’s advocating for third spaces, co-living arrangements, or more inclusive neighborhoods, Chelsey brings a refreshingly honest and practical voice to conversations about housing, community, and the future of our cities.
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