Ottawa’s Zoning By-law Review

Did you know that the City of Ottawa recently released a staff report on the first draft of the new zoning by-law review? If you're wondering what a zoning by-law is, it's a set of rules that govern the use and development of land and buildings.

These rules specify various things like the height, size, and location of buildings, on-site parking, lot sizes, and building character. But why is this important, you ask? Well, a zoning by-law determines how property owners can use and develop their land, for any anticipated future uses. It also regulates the construction of new structures or changes to existing ones. Essentially, it ensures that land use and development within a city are in line with clear and consistent regulations that reflect the city’s vision for its future.

The new zoning by-law review is crucial in helping us achieve the 15-minute neighbourhoods that we require, as committed by our Official Plan (see Sec.6.3.3). The first draft of the by-law will be released on May 31, 2024. Following this, public consultations on the draft will continue until October, followed by the second draft in Q1 2025. Finally, the city council will approve the new by-law in Q4 of 2025.

Below are our proposed recommendations to the city council on the zoning by-law:

Parking minimums

Transportation is responsible for about 44% of greenhouse gas emissions in Ottawa, with cars being a significant contributor. Parking lots occupy significant space, and eliminating parking minimums would free up land that could be used for other purposes, such as housing, retail services, community gardens, parks, and trees. This would also promote public and active transportation within the city so that we have a city that is built for people, not cars, making the air cleaner and people healthier. By focusing on reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, the elimination of minimum parking requirements aligns with Ottawa's efforts to tackle one of its top emission sources, ultimately leading to cleaner air, reduced pollution, and a more climate-resilient city.

Density

Increasing the number of residential and commercial buildings per hectare can be a crucial step towards making cities more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This approach promotes efficiency and conservation, which are essential in tackling climate change. By filling parking lots with shared green spaces and being more organized, cities can deliver essential services like water and electricity to more people while using fewer resources and less energy. This can help conserve the environment and make cities more livable at the same time. Detached houses take up one of our most precious ecological resources, space—particularly when they include a lawn and a driveway, which have almost no and no ecological value, respectively. Better land use means more room for biodiversity-rich spaces, like forests or wetlands.

Trees, trees, and more trees

Trees are of collective benefit, in many ways such as stormwater management, supporting biodiversity, and cooling communities, so investment in growing Ottawa’s tree canopy must also be undertaken collectively. To have a thriving tree canopy in Ottawa, setbacks are crucial. We recommend a 6-metre front yard setback in outer urban areas and a 3-metre setback in inner urban and downtown areas. Creating conditions for trees in major and minor corridors to thrive needs to be given greater priority, which can be achieved by establishing requirements for setbacks, soil volume, soft landscaped space, and car parking in the Zoning By-law. This will allow more trees to be planted, achieving maturity, and being protected for generations to come.

(editors note: see the April 2023 PEN special issue on Urban Canopy and Greenspaces, here)

Mixed-use planning

Zoning must be simple, allow for variety in infill design, and require animation along sidewalks. Zoning must open up business opportunities for developers to build the kind of infill housing, small shops, and offices that allow people to live in (i.e shopping, seeing doctors, going to libraries, etc) and make existing streets more animated, walkable, and green - infill that is sensitive in scale and proportion that improves the street.  Encouraging mixed-use developments and promoting vibrant, walkable neighbourhoods can foster a sustainable Ottawa. Upgrades to infrastructure, paths, trees, parks, and recreational facilities must be scheduled such that transitioning communities embrace change with confidence that their neighbourhood is becoming complete and wonderful.

How to take action:

The next step in the process? Staff will release a first draft of the Zoning by-law on May 31 ( 🎉 🎉) and begin public consultations. More information on the Zoning by-law Review can be found on the city’s website. Please attend the consultations that follow and submit your feedback. (For some perspective, the final draft is projected to come to the Council at the end of 2025. Yes, it’s a long process!) Please stay tuned for more details!

Dan Rutabingwa Gakire is the Climate Program Coordinator for Ecology Ottawa.