Engage Ottawa just launched a new wave of public consultations on making the city more green and resilient. I’m sure I won’t be pitching any new ideas, but I went through the exercise of putting together a few key thoughts on this. Go ahead and steal any of these ideas when you go fill out their survey.
Adopt a Citywide 15-Minute Neighborhood Model
Reconfigure zoning and land use so that every resident can access work, shops, parks, schools, and healthcare within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, reducing car dependency and transportation emissions significantly.
This compact urban form also boosts local economies by keeping spending in neighbourhoods and improving public health through daily physical activity.
Pretty much all of these ideas work best if all cars all the time is deprioritized in the transportation network so other modes of transportation can fill in gaps in a more sustainable way.
Introduce Congestion Pricing & Car-Free Downtown Zones
Implement dynamic tolls on private vehicles entering the core at peak times, reinvesting revenues into transit and cycling infrastructure; London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone reduced central traffic while raising money.
Complement with pedestrian-only streets on select avenues to activate plazas and support outdoor cafés, markets, and pop-up green spaces.
Launch a Citywide Community Agriculture & Edible Landscaping Program
Formalize allotment gardens and edible streetscapes on public land—transforming boulevards, medians, and underutilized plots into fruit-tree alleys and vegetable beds managed by neighbourhood co-ops.
This fosters local food security, slashes transportation emissions from food imports, and builds social cohesion through shared stewardship.
Retrofit Suburban Malls into Mixed-Use Eco-Hubs
Convert sprawling parking lots and underused retail shells into high-density, climate-positive villages with energy-efficient apartments, coworking labs, vertical farms, and daycare facilities.
By repurposing existing structures, the city saves on new infrastructure costs and curbs sprawl-related service expenses.
Expand Zero-Fare Transit for Low-Income Riders
Extend and promote the EquiPass program—already offering half-price fares for qualifying households—to full zero-fare status for anyone below the low-income threshold, ensuring that cost is never a barrier to transit access.
Studies show that eliminating fares for low-income groups can increase ridership while reducing social inequities in mobility.
Subsidize E-Bikes and Community Bike-Share Across All Neighbourhoods
Partner with Ottawa-Gatineau’s upcoming bike-share feasibility study to launch a city-funded e-bike lending program, offering deep subsidies or free membership for those earning under the median income.
Global pilots show e-bike subsidies can shift short car trips to cycle, cutting household transport costs.
Create a Citywide Micro-Mobility Hub Network
Install “mobility hubs” at every major transit interchange, offering shared bikes, e-scooters, carshare, parcel lockers, and real-time trip planning kiosks in one location. Part of this plan necessarily involves making sure safe and efficient connections exist across the city to make this hub function.
Integrated hubs reduce first-/last-mile barriers and can boost public transit usage.
Optimize Freight with Urban Consolidation Centres and E-Cargo Bikes
Establish a suburban consolidation centre where deliveries are sorted and then distributed into the core via e-cargo bikes—already under pilot in Ottawa—to cut downtown delivery truck traffic and reduce road damage and emissions.
This model lowers logistics costs for local businesses.
Integrate Stormwater Parks and Permeable Pavements
Redesign select plazas and parking areas as bioswale parks that detain, filter, and slowly release stormwater, reducing sewer overflows and treatment costs.
Pair with permeable asphalt on sidewalks and local streets to recharge groundwater and mitigate urban flooding at minimal incremental cost compared to traditional paving.
Scale Solar Microgrids on Rooftops and Parking Structures
Leverage flat rooftops of libraries, schools, and government buildings for community solar farms, tied into local microgrids that can island during extreme weather. Such systems reduce peak-hour grid demand, lowering city-wide electricity costs and enhancing resilience during blackouts.
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