The City of Ottawa is developing a new comprehensive Zoning By-law for approval by Council in 2025. The Zoning By-law is a set of regulations that sets rules on what can be built as of right, without having to seek specific permission.

In this feature story you will find background on how we got here, a summary of next steps in the process, and a summary of issues addressed in the Zoning By-law. These include: Housing, Climate resiliency, Parking and an explanation of the difference between Dwellings and Storeys.

Background

The new Zoning By-law will implement the policies and directions in the City’s Official Plan(link is external), which outlines a comprehensive land-use policy framework to guide growth and development within the city to the year 2046. The new Zoning By-law will be critical to City efforts to address housing affordability in Ottawa by facilitating growth that aligns with intensification goals outlined in the Official Plan.

In addition to the Zoning By-law(link is external), the City is reviewing its Infrastructure Master Plan(link is external), updating its Transportation Master Plan(link is external) and implementing its Climate Change Master Plan, all in support of the Official Plan(link is external).

Housing is the priority

Opening new opportunities for housing is at the very core of our Official Plan. The Zoning By-law will help us achieve the goals of the Official Plan, namely to provide opportunities for more homes that are:

• affordable for more people
• located within low and mid-rise settings in existing neighborhoods
• located within high-rise settings near main streets and transit hubs
• well-designed and well-built
• located in neighbourhoods with amenities that enhance quality of life

Provisions in the draft Zoning By-law aim to encourage development of housing closer to public transit. It also addresses the needs of households with the lowest 40 per cent of income levels, who need a wider range of housing options that includes shelters and supportive housing.

What are the next steps?

On Friday, May 31, the City will release the first draft of the new Zoning By-law.

Extensive public engagement will follow, with residents encouraged to review and comment on the new by-law both online on engage.ottawa.ca(link is external) and in person at open-house events in the fall.

Staff will compile the results of the consultation and use it to update a second draft of the Zoning By-law, which will be presented for consideration in the spring of 2025 at a joint meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. Public consultations will then continue until the fall of 2025 when a final draft is scheduled to be considered at Joint Committee once more and then approved by Council.

Guiding principles of the draft Zoning By-law

Four dwellings does not mean four storeys

To increase housing construction options and opportunities in existing neighbourhoods, the by-law creates a framework of Neighbourhood Zones. All Neighbourhood Zones would permit four dwellings or more on each serviced residential lot. A dwelling refers to an address, a house, an apartment or other place of residence. It does not refer to the number of storeys in a structure.

• What this means:
  If a homeowner wants to renovate a structure to allow up to four households to live there, they would not need a zoning amendment to seek special permission to do so. However, they still must adhere to other provisions regulating setbacks, site plans and the building code.

What is a Neighbourhood Zone?

Neighbourhood Zones allow neighbourhoods to evolve in a way that is appropriate based on their location, age, maturity and the needs of the people living in and around them. Where supported by the Official Plan, the draft adds new permissions for non-residential uses to encourage more retail and services near where people live, helping to meet the day-to-day needs of residents.

• What this means:
  The Zoning By-law will provide more opportunities in neighbourhoods for daycares, hair salons, coffee shops, food stores, small local-oriented retail and offices to provide local benefits that residents want and need.

What is a 15-minute neighbourhood?

One of the Official Plan’s targets is to permit denser, more livable communities. The draft Zoning By-law supports the development of 15-minute neighbourhoods.

• What this means:
  In a 15-minute neighbourhood, most of what you need to live can be found within a 15-minute walk of your home, including access to food, shopping, medical care, schools, employment and recreation; or, access to public transit to take you where you need to go.

What does the draft Zoning By-law say about parking?

The draft does not propose minimum parking rates. That does not mean no parking will be provided for new developments, but it would be by choice and driven by market preference and demand.

• What this means:
  Maximum parking rates in areas well served by transit will continue to apply, as will requirements for accessible and visitor parking spaces. 

How does the draft by-law address Climate Resiliency?

This draft Zoning By-law includes provisions that encourage the densest development near transit, increase the prevalence of EV-charging stations, require EV-ready parking spaces where parking is provided, and encourage tree retention and forest regeneration.

• What this means:
  Climate resiliency is not just something residents do in their homes, it begins at the planning stage, when neighbourhoods are being designed and developed.

Other areas of focus include:

• Equity
  The draft Zoning By-law aims to implement the Official Plan equally and consistently so that no one neighbourhood is treated differently or affected disproportionately.
• Space for trees
  The draft expands requirements for soft landscaping to help establish preconditions for more trees, ensuring room is preserved in front and rear yards as properties are redeveloped.
• Water and stormwater services
  The draft strengthens provisions requiring adequate water and sewer capacity before a building permit could be issued, in particular for developments that do not require a site plan control application.

City of Ottawa Engages Residents on New Zoning Bylaw

The City of Ottawa is embarking on an important journey to reshape its Zoning Bylaw, with multiple opportunities for resident engagement over the next 18 months. The full text of the proposed Zoning By-law is now available on the project’s Engage Ottawa page. This initial report marks the beginning of a comprehensive review process, which will include two additional iterations based on community feedback until the final version is approved by Council in Q4 2025. Consultation for this project starts now and will continue until the By-law's approval in late 2025.

City-wide Virtual Community Information Session

The engagement process kicks off with a city-wide virtual community information session scheduled for June 20 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. This session aims to provide an overview of the key concepts of the proposed by-law and outline what to expect in future engagements. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and express concerns during a dedicated Q&A period. Questions specific to certain wards will be noted for further discussion in subsequent sessions to ensure comprehensive community feedback.

To attend the session, please register here.

Virtual Community Information and Comment Sessions

Additional virtual meetings will be held grouped by city areas.

These sessions will provide residents with further opportunities to voice their opinions and ensure that all perspectives are considered in the drafting process.

Pop-Up Events

A series of pop-up events will also be organized throughout the city to engage residents in a more informal setting. These events will create an open dialogue, allowing residents to ask questions, share their thoughts, and gain a deeper understanding of the bylaw's implications.

In-Person Community Information and Comment Sessions

As part of the city's commitment to inclusivity, in-person community information and comment sessions will be held in September and October. Each session will provide detailed displays and opportunities for residents to engage directly with city staff and fellow residents.

The Zoning By-law team is dedicated to facilitating transparent and inclusive public engagement throughout this process. Stay tuned for updates on engagement details as they are confirmed, and take this opportunity to help shape the future of Ottawa's zoning policies.

• May 31, 2024 - New Zoning By-law interactive Map:

The City has created a web-based interactive map, to enable the public to review existing zoning and be able to compare with the new zoning provisions of the City’s new Zoning By-law project.

May 31, 2024 - New Zoning By-law StoryMap

TBD - Digital Twin

Through the new Zoning By-law project, the City is developing a Digital Twin – a virtual, three-dimensional representation of Ottawa – that can be used to model and simulate the city. The model will provide users with a fully immersive and interactive 3D representation of the entire urban environment – from buildings and roads to hydrants and trees – enabling them to explore the entire, complex environment.

The Digital Twin is being developed in stages and aims to deploy a public interface for the Digital Twin planned in late 2025.

The first staff report for the new Zoning By-law project is now live on the City’s agenda minutes page. The report will be tabled at the April 29 Joint Committee of the Planning and Housing Committee, and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. The full text of the proposed By-law will be released in its entirety on May 31 here on the project’s Engage Ottawa page.

The staff report serves as a preview of the first draft of the new Zoning By-law provisions. It summarizes the proposed By-law in plain language and how the By-law is implementing the new Official Plan.

This report is just the start of the Zoning By-law review. Over the course of the project there will be two other iterations of the draft by-law that will be developed based on the feedback and comments we receive until the final version of the By-law is approved by Council in Q4 2025.

Consultation for the entire project starts now and will continue until the proposed By-law is approved by Council in Q4 2025. Active engagement for this first draft starts in June and continues through October.

The new zoning by-law recently held open houses featuring information on key elements informing the development of Ottawa’s new zoning by-law. Below are posters displayed at the Open houses. The comments received at these events will help inform the first draft of the proposed by-law being released next year.

• Pre-Draft 1 Open House
• Virtual Open House Presentation

The City of Ottawa is hosting a virtual Open House that builds on the success of our in-person Open Houses held in September. We're here to share essential updates about the new Zoning By-law project and encourage your participation. The event is set for Thursday, October 5, starting at 6 PM.

Here's what you can expect:

• Presentation: The Virtual Open House will kick off with a presentation that covers the project's overview, timelines, and key topics.
• Questions and Answers: Time will be set aside to answer questions submitted during the presentation.

How to Participate:

• Date and Time: Thursday, October 5, Starting at 6 PM.
• Online Platform: The Open House will be held virtually on Zoom.
• Registration: To attend, please register by clicking on this link.

Join us for a series of three interactive open houses this September. These open houses mark the initial steps in our New Zoning By-law Project. They offer you the chance to learn what zoning means, understand how the new Zoning By-law implements the recently approved Official Plan, and receive a high-level overview of key zoning topics.

September 16 - Nepean Sportsplex: 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM

September 20 - City Hall (Jean Pigott Place): 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

September 23 - Ray Friel Recreation Complex: 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM

A virtual open house will be hosted on October 05 starting at 6 PM. Register here.