Ottawa is on the cusp of a dramatic transformation in how it grows, with city councillors poised to pass a comprehensive overhaul of its outdated zoning bylaws. The changes are designed to accommodate a projected population surge of over half a million people in the next two decades, steering development away from urban sprawl and towards denser, more sustainable growth within existing neighbourhoods.
The Core of the New Bylaw: Building Up, Not Out
The cornerstone of the new zoning framework is a significant shift in permitted building heights. Instead of continuing to expand the city's boundaries, the bylaw will encourage developers to build upwards. Across all urban and suburban areas, residential height allowances will be set at 11 metres, or approximately three storeys. This move is a direct response to the financial and environmental costs associated with sprawl.
Councillor Jeff Leiper, chair of the planning and housing committee, has been a vocal advocate for the changes. He warns that repeating the post-war pattern of outward growth would be a critical mistake. "Our transit networks will become stretched out. The pipes that service new communities will get longer," Leiper cautioned his colleagues. He emphasized that sprawling development leads to longer, more expensive infrastructure networks that are costly for taxpayers to maintain and rebuild without sufficient density to support them.
Targeted Intensification and Transit-Oriented Development
The new bylaw strategically targets different areas of the city for varying levels of intensification. It will make it easier to construct larger multi-dwelling projects along major corridors and will facilitate the development of highrise residential towers near transit stations, promoting a more efficient, transit-oriented city.
While neighbourhoods like Westboro and Hintonburg have experienced significant densification over the past 20 years, the most noticeable impact of the new rules may be felt in Ottawa's older suburban "bungalow belt." These areas, characterized by single-family homes on the edges of the urban core, will now see more opportunities for gentle density.
"We are allowing significantly more density to happen in neighbourhoods that are more urban, where a lot of those former single detached homes, when they come up for sale, are being purchased and turned into semi-detached homes, triplexes, or long semis that can incorporate six or eight units," Leiper explained. The goal is to focus the most intense infill in areas with the best access to transit, services, and amenities.
A New Future for Suburban Neighbourhoods
The bylaw represents a fundamental change for communities like Convent Glen in Orléans. Previously reserved primarily for single-family homes, these neighbourhoods will now be permitted to evolve. The new rules will allow for the construction of long semis, three-storey buildings, and other multi-unit structures, gradually increasing density in established areas.
Leiper notes that this approach is both practical and equitable. It acknowledges that while a transit-rich area like Westboro will develop more intensely, even suburban neighbourhoods need the flexibility to adapt and add housing options. This city-wide shift is aimed at preparing Ottawa for a future where it is expected to house a population of approximately 1.7 million people by 2046, all while managing infrastructure costs and preserving surrounding green spaces, farmland, and wetlands.
The final draft of the comprehensive zoning bylaw has received committee approval, setting the stage for a full council vote that will reshape the look and feel of Canada's capital for generations to come.
