The Official Plan is a large document and policy framework to guide the City of Ottawa’s growth and development until 2046. This means this document outlines how and where the city will build, the development of the city’s transportation system, changes to existing infrastructure and the shape of existing and future communities as well as the preservation of natural systems. The goal of the Official Plan is to “make Ottawa the most livable mid-sized city in North America”.
The City outlined 5 “Big Moves” for the Official Plan, listed below:
1. Growth: Achieve, by the end of its planning period, more growth by intensification than by greenfield development. This growth will provide a variety of affordable housing options for residents.
2. Mobility: By 2046, the majority of trips in the City of Ottawa will be made by sustainable transportation.
3. Urban Design: Improve our sophistication in urban and community design, and put this knowledge to the service of good urbanism at all scales, from the largest to the very small.
4. Resiliency: Embed public health, environmental, climate and energy resiliency into the framework of our planning policies.
5. Economy: Embed economic development into the framework of our planning policies.
The City’s Official Plan was approved by City Council in October 2021, and was then sent to the Provincial Government for approval. The Official Plan was then approved the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in November 2022 with 30 modifications.
POP analyzed the city’s draft and final Official Plan, and provided key issues that it found with the plan which you can see in our Key Issues document. You can find a detailed line-by-line analysis of key policies from the Official Plan in POP’s Technical Report, along with 12 proposed high-level targets for the Official Plan.
In 2023 POP’s scope will be analyzing and responding to various policies and plans related to how the City will grow and tackle issues such as housing, food security, climate change, waste, transit and environmental issues more broadly. These plans include the Solid Waste Master Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, The Infrastructure Master Plan, and the Comprehensive Zoning By-Law.