The New Official Plan

On Thursday, October 17 from 2 to 6 pm in Council Chambers at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, the City's Cultural Development and Initiatives Section hosted an open event called Defining Ottawa Together: Culture in the Official Plan. This public engagement session aimed to define the future of Ottawa through culture. Ideas were proposed and places/spaces were identified.

Click here to see where the ideas from that session will live, and where you can participate from Friday, October 18 to Sunday, October 27 even if you couldn't join the session

What are the big issues facing the city? Nine discussion papers outline some of the main themes of the Official Plan review and identify ideas for moving forward.

The Building Blocks for a Healthy Ottawa discussion paper

The Building Blocks for a Healthy Ottawa highlight sheet

Climate Adaptation and Resiliency discussion paper

Climate Adaptation and Resiliency highlight sheet

The Economy discussion paper

The Economy highlight sheet

Energy discussion paper

Energy highlight sheet

The Greater Ottawa-Gatineau Area discussion paper

The Greater Ottawa-Gatineau Area highlight sheet

Housing discussion paper

Housing highlight sheet

Infrastructure and Water Management discussion paper

Infrastructure and Water Management highlight sheet

Natural Ottawa discussion paper

Natural Ottawa highlight sheet

Rural Ottawa discussion paper

Rural Ottawa highlight sheet

In December 2016, Ottawa City Council directed staff to undertake a planning study to “…identify trends in housing, employment, and identify opportunities to create complete communities which, together with current Official Plan policies create an affordable and sustainable city beyond 2036…”

The goal of the Ottawa Next: Beyond 2036 study was to identify the forces that will shape Ottawa over the next century to help position the City to build both resiliency and adaptability into the next Official Plan. In order to carry out this goal and to address the high level of uncertainty of the city’s long-term future, Ottawa Next: Beyond 2036 was undertaken as a scenario based planning study to:

• identify trends and disruptors that will influence the city beyond the current 20-year planning horizon;
• identify possible future scenarios, which extend beyond the normal planning time-frame and arise from the identified drivers and disrupters; and
• identify planning considerations that will allow the City to create complete communities and be resilient and adaptable to future change.

The scenarios and planning considerations identified in this report will help to inform the setting of priorities within the next Official Plan, and may also frame the updates of the City’s other supporting Growth Management documents including the:

• Transportation Master Plan;
• Infrastructure Master Plan;
• Greenspace Master Plan; and the
• Development Charges By-law.

The Ottawa Next: Beyond 2036 study was presented to the Planning Committee on February 14, 2019.