In my opinion, the idea that one's inner-city neighbourhood isn't supposed to densify or change in any substantial way is antiquated and needs to go.
Like you guys have pointed out, the areas surrounding the U of A have so much potential demand for housing, businesses, etc., and the fact that this only now is being tapped into is wild to me. I can sympathize with people who live around these new projects and I understand that these changes are foreign to many, since for decades natural increases in density and services have been stifled by archaic planning practices. In some ways I feel for them in that regard.
With that said, I fully support projects like Windsor Terrace and this one. I'd go as far to argue that, if someone is so change-averse that they hate the idea of anything that isn't a single family home being built in their neighbourhood, a big growing city like Edmonton may not be the best place for them to live.