[Amendment #150, May 2, 2018]
Council has adopted this Plan to help achieve its vision of a sustainable, resilient and liveable city. This vision is expressed through goals for the sustainability of Ottawa that are framed in the City’s Strategic Plan. These goals ensure that decisions take into account their long-term impacts on Ottawa’s economic prosperity, environment, social well-being, and culture and identity.
The City’s Strategic Plan identifies the goals for the long-term sustainability for Ottawa as:
Health and Quality of Life
All residents enjoy a high quality of life and contribute to community well-being
Economic prosperity supports local people, community well-being, and ecological health
Culture and Identity
Cultural vitality and diversity contribute to the region’s strong identity
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health
Ecosystems are healthy, protected and support biodiversity
Governance and Decision-Making
Decision-making is open, informed and inclusive
The region adapts to a changing climate
Energy is used efficiently and supplied from green, renewable sources
Connectivity and Mobility
Walking, cycling, and transit are residents’ first choices for transportation
Materials and Solid Waste
Waste is reduced towards zero
Water and Wastewater
Water resources are cherished, conserved and protected
Housing options are green, healthy and meet the needs of the whole community
Food and Agriculture
The local food system is sustainable and provides residents with healthy and affordable food
The Official Plan contributes to the achievement of these goals by setting directions for managing growth, providing infrastructure and protecting the environment. The Plan shows how the City will manage growth so that development is compact and land within the urban boundary is used efficiently. This pattern reduces impacts on agriculture land and local food production and helps preserve the biodiversity and eco-system health of natural areas. The Plan maps Ottawa’s natural heritage system and requires careful analysis and mitigation of potential development impacts on woodlands, wetlands and other natural features. Water runs throughout the natural heritage system and is protected through policies on how the City manages stormwater in urban areas and permits servicing in rural areas.
Combined with walking, cycling and transit, compact development reduces energy consumption and impacts on the environment. Together, compact development and sustainable transportation result in affordable options for providing municipal services and infrastructure as well as affordable options for housing and travel for many households.
The Plan supports sustainable, liveable and resilient communities and the quality of life of all residents. It supports the long-term sustainability of Ottawa in concert with other plans approved by Council. These plans include:
- Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage and Culture – The action plan builds on Ottawa’s strengths, and sets out a path aimed at reaping the major economic impacts and the positive social and environmental benefits of cultural activities in Ottawa.
Partnerships for Prosperity – Ottawa’s economic strategy focuses on international competitiveness, brand and market development, and City leadership in shaping economic directions. It seeks to balance business prosperity with social equity, environmental responsibility, and cultural expression.
Environmental Strategy – The strategy sets the direction and establishes a comprehensive approach to create sound environmental management in City practices and policies.
Parks and Recreation Master Plan – The plan proposes a set of operating principles and strategic recommendations to guide the development and implementation of parks and recreation services.
Older Adult Plan – This plan addresses the specific needs of Ottawa’s older residents now and in the future, in such strategic areas as transportation, housing, communication and information.
Youth Summit Action Plan – The City is committed to 31 actions to enhance municipal services for youth in such areas as career advice, volunteering, and youth participation in decision-making.
Equity and Inclusion Lens – The lens is a tool to enable the City to be systematic, consistent and coherent in its efforts to promote equity and inclusion in all areas of municipal activity.
Accessibility Design Standards – The standards optimize accessibility for new construction or redevelopment of existing facilities owned, leased or operated by the City in order to address the needs of diverse users and ensure an inclusive environment.
The Official Plan works in parallel with several supporting plans that take their direction from policies in the Official Plan, particularly its directions on growth and how it will be managed to 2036: [Amendment #180 November 8, 2017]
The main supporting plans are:
- Transportation Master Plan – This plan is a comprehensive plan that sets out the City’s approach to managing and meeting the demand for transportation, including priorities for future infrastructure. This plan is supported by the Ottawa Cycling Plan and the Ottawa Pedestrian Plan, which propose infrastructure, policies, and programs to increase sustainable travel.
- Infrastructure Master Plan – An integrated planning and system management document, the Infrastructure Master Plan coordinates the City’s efforts in meeting the demand for public water, wastewater, and stormwater services;
- Greenspace Master Plan – All greenspaces in the urban area are characterized and evaluated in this plan as a basis for policies on greenspace protection, acquisition and management.
Council implements its Official Plan and supporting plans through its decisions on how land is used and where public funds are invested. These decisions include:
Review and approval of development applications from developers and landowners who want to change how their land is used;
Amendments to the Zoning By-law for specific sites or types of activities such as parking, that are consistent with the Official Plan;
Creation and updating of community design plans to guide development in new communities and change in established ones;
Approval of detailed guidelines on a range of policy matters such as Environmental Impact Statements and community design;
Planning and approval of public works to be carried out by the City to support future growth, including water and wastewater infrastructure, roads and transit facilities, and public parks;
Preparation of annual municipal budgets and long-term plans for capital spending.
Implementing this Plan will require the cooperation of a wide variety of actors outside the municipal administration, not only because they must respect the Plan, but also because they have the mandate, experience and expertise to implement much of it.
The City must partner with the provincial and federal governments, including the National Capital Commission, as well as the City of Gatineau and the Province of Québec, on issues related to transportation infrastructure, management of natural resources, economic development, and more.
The private sector, including builders and developers, has an increasing role to play through partnerships with the City. Examples include building and managing facilities and services, economic development, provision of mixed-use projects, and more.
A host of agencies such as the Conservation Authorities, school boards, and non-profit and cooperative housing associations have responsibilities that contribute to the quality of life in Ottawa.
Finally, individuals and community groups do much to define public issues and solutions and their on-going participation is essential to implementing this Plan. [Amendment #150, May 2, 2018]