New Zoning By-law

Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022,(External link) received Royal Assent on November 28, 2022. The Bill made changes to the Planning Act and other provincial acts. Changes to the Planning Act include overriding municipal zoning by-laws to allow up to three “gentle intensification” principal units on any urban-serviced residential parcel, including in a detached, semi-detached or townhouse and prohibiting a zoning by-law from restricting such from occurring. Residents will find the most up-to-date information on Bill 23 on this webpage.

Consultation on developing a new Zoning By-law is now open with the release of seven Discussion Papers and corresponding surveys. These papers address key issues relating to the implementation of the new Official Plan, including:

• Climate Change, Resiliency, Public Health Discussion Paper
• Climate Change, Resiliency, Public Health One Pager
• Climate Change, Resiliency, Public Health Survey
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Discussion Paper
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion One Pager
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Survey
• How Zoning Can Regulate Trees
  • How Zoning Can Regulate Trees Discussion Paper
  • How Zoning Can Regulate Trees One Pager
  • How Zoning Can Regulate Trees Survey
• Land Use Strategies for the New Zoning By-law
  • Land Use Strategies for the New Zoning By-law Discussion Paper
  • Land Use Strategies for the New Zoning By-law One Pager
  • Land Use Strategies for the New Zoning By-law Survey
• Neighbourhood Character
  • Neighbourhood Character Discussion Paper
  • Neighbourhood Character One Pager
  • Neighbourhood Character Survey
• Neighbourhood Zones
  • Neighbourhood Zones Discussion Paper
  • Neighbourhood Zones One Pager
  • Neighbourhood Zones Survey
• Rural Zoning Issues
  • Rural Zoning Issues Discussion Paper
  • Rural Zoning Issues One Pager
  • Rural Zoning Issues Survey

The release of these discussion papers is the first chance for the public to consult on the implementation of the recently approved new Official plan through the development of a new Ottawa Zoning By-law. The City welcomes feedback and input from members of the public and will summarize the received responses in an "As We Heard It" report later this year. Consultations on the discussion papers will inform the development of the first draft of the new Zoning By-law. We encourage members of the public to review the discussion papers and share their thoughts and ideas, as their input will play a critical role in shaping the future of our city. The surveys close Friday, July 28.

The Zoning Discussion Papers will be residents’ first opportunity to have their say about the future of zoning in the city of Ottawa. The Discussion Papers focus on key policy directions in the Official Plan that must be implemented in the Zoning By-law:

• Climate Change, Resiliency and Public Health
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Land Use
• Neighbourhood Zoning
• Neighbourhood Character
• Rural Zoning Issues
• Trees

Timeline (REVISED)

Recent changes to Provincial planning legislation, including Bill 109 (More Homes for Everyone Act, April 2022) and the recently proposed Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act), have the potential to cause significant changes to the planning framework underlying Ottawa’s growth and housing objectives. The Province has also announced that changes will be made to the Provincial Policy Statement and that new regulations relating to planning issues in Ontario will be coming into effect. Additionally, the new Official Plan’s recent approval will require an evaluation of the thirty (30) Ministerial modifications made to the Plan as part of its approval by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

As such, the release of the discussion papers will be placed on hold pending the resolution of the above issues, and a review of how this may impact Ottawa’s planning framework and zoning strategy. A new timeline will be developed following a review of the impact of the above changes to Provincial legislation.

November 17, 2022

The Zoning Implementation Report was approved by Ottawa City Council on July 6th.

The report provides an overview of the strategy for implementing the policies of the Council-approved new Official plan through the development of a new zoning by-law. Specifically, it looks at how the policies in the Official Plan concerning equity, inclusion and diversity, the growth management strategy, public health, housing, 15-minute neighbourhoods, climate change and the urban forest tree canopy will be implemented in the new Zoning By-law.

The report also includes an overview of best practices in zoning in Canada and other jurisdictions, renderings that illustrate the proposed strategy for achieving the density targets in the growth management strategy, information on the enhanced interactive capabilities in the new Zoning Map, an overview of the content of upcoming discussion papers, and information concerning the public engagement strategy and project timelines.

A Best Practices Review of Zoning in Canada and other jurisdictions was conducted in 2021 to inform and support the development of the new Zoning By-law. The Review examines zoning practices in 15 Canadian jurisdictions and seven American jurisdictions to offer contemporary perspectives on various zoning issues including affordable housing, infill, density targets, character and housing typologies. To view the Best Review of Zoning, please go here.