The city is currently going through consultations (New Zoning By-law | Engage Ottawa) to renew plans for upcoming zoning bylaw changes. Here are a couple of changes to zoning that would radically improve the ways we interact with our community and the city.
My full essay analysis on necessary zoning changes in Orleans can be found here: Choosing Our Future: Why a Comprehensive, City-Wide Approach to Zoning is Essential for a Thriving Ottawa.The following is a summary of my zoning analysis of Orleans (especially Convent Glen North) as part of the Zoning Bylaw consultation process going on in Ottawa. My full analysis of the transportation and zoning files in Orleans can be found here: Modernizing Orleans: Integrated Transportation and Zoning for a Sustainable Future.
I am writing to provide feedback on the new Zoning By-law, and to advocate for a comprehensive, forward-thinking approach to reforming our suburban neighbourhoods. The current zoning review presents a generational opportunity to address the interconnected challenges of housing affordability and municipal fiscal sustainability at their root, and I believe a bold vision is required to build a more resilient and equitable Ottawa for the future.
Our city’s traditional reliance on low-density, car-dependent sprawl in the suburban transects is no longer tenable. It creates a significant structural deficit where the tax revenue from these areas cannot cover their long-term infrastructure costs, while simultaneously limiting housing choice and driving up prices. To counter this, I urge you to consider two specific, transformative actions city-wide: first, to establish a more permissive baseline for all neighbourhoods by eliminating our most restrictive residential zones (like N1/N2) in favour of a zone that allows for gentle density, such as what is presented in N3; and second, to integrate permissions for low-impact, neighbourhood-serving commercial uses (the ‘-c’ designation) directly into all residential zones.
These changes are not about radical transformation overnight, but about decriminalizing the gradual, organic evolution of our neighbourhoods over decades. This will allow our communities to adapt, add needed housing, and develop the kind of vibrant, 15-minute communities envisioned in the Official Plan.
Specific Examples in Convent Glen
In my neighbourhood in Convent Glen North, I’ve put together what I imagine this would look like, with overlapping improvements to the transportation network and the zoning bylaws.
I believe that corner lots (at the intersections, pictured here) are some of the best-positioned to be able to take advantage of creating multi-use buildings with ground-floor retail space without disrupting the neighbourhood. However, doing this piece-meal and in small ways will make the needed transformation to walkable neighbourhoods take way longer than just allowing such low-impact changes to be made anywhere in the suburban transect. I think given the insular nature of the particular block of Convent Glen North is uniquely positioned to take advantage of such a change, being bordered by the Greenbelt farms, the highway, and the Ottawa River. If we could access most amenities you need on a regular basis within the community, our reliance on being connected to the rest of the city by only a handful of highway crossings would be greatly reduced.
For a more detailed analysis of this position, including evidence from other cities and a deeper look at the financial and social benefits, please see the full essay Choosing Our Future: Why a Comprehensive, City-Wide Approach to Zoning is Essential for a Thriving Ottawa.
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