Mazhar Choudhry
"We are large enough already."
Bob Bell
"I would oppose further expansion of the urban boundary."
Yvette Ashiri
"I don't support expanding Ottawa's urban boundary. We should focus on building smarter within the city we already have, creating complete, connected communities instead of pushing development farther out. Expanding the boundary increases infrastructure costs, car dependency, and environmental impact, while leaving existing neighborhoods underused. Maintaining the urban boundary protects our farmland, forests, and wetland, which are essential to climate resiliency and food security. I believe we need to prioritize infill housing, mixed-use development near transit, and revitalizing underutilized areas so people can live closer to where they work, study, and shop. This approach protects farmland and green space, reduces emissions, and makes public services more efficient. Growth is inevitable, but it should be managed responsibly and sustainably, by investing in connected communities rather than expanding outward."
Tammie Trellert
"I'm not opposed to growth, but I am opposed to growth without a plan.
Ottawa is growing, and we need to accommodate housing and employment. But expanding the urban boundary should not be the automatic answer every time we need more housing.
Before adding land, I want us to demonstrate that we are making responsible use of the communities and infrastructure we already have. That means looking seriously at appropriate intensification, existing vacant and underused lands, and development around transit, while protecting agricultural land, green space and our natural environment.
If expansion is proposed, the questions need to be very practical: What will it cost to service? Can our roads, transit, water and wastewater systems support it? Will residents have access to schools, parks and other services? Will people be able to walk, bike, roll or take transit instead of being dependent on a car? And what are the long-term environmental and climate impacts?
The City itself recognizes that the urban boundary is connected to sustainable growth and the efficient use of infrastructure, and current expansion applications require infrastructure-capacity and land-needs assessments.
I want Ottawa to grow thoughtfully. We can build the homes we need while protecting the things that make Ottawa a great place to live, like our green spaces, agricultural lands, waterways and communities.
Growth should be measured not simply by how many homes we can build, but by whether we are building complete, connected and sustainable communities that residents can afford to live in and the City can afford to support."