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Ecology Ottawa joined several partner groups in submitting a letter to the City of Ottawa's zoning team. It follows a more comprehensive submission on June 30th 2025, each prompted by the zoning by-law challenges pertaining to density explained by Jason Burggraaf, Executive Director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association (GOHBA) in an Ottawa Citizen piece by Paula Tran.
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In the midst of developing a new zoning bylaw, it is critical to examine not just the broad goals of the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan, but to also examine the minutiae of how we achieve these goals. One of these goals is the need to achieve more growth through intensification, rather than continued greenfield development, also known as sprawl. While this is a very commendable goal, it only matters if we can actually achieve it.
Are the current tools in the zoning bylaw going to allow for the type of infill that the city is hoping to see? According to GOHBA, the answer seems to be no, and our groups share this concern.
One of the main issues is the limited height available to many of the zones and subzones that will be implemented under the new bylaw. Particularly N1 and N2 neighbourhood zones only allow for 8.5 metres (2 storeys) inside the Greenbelt, and 11 metres (3 storeys) outside. Notably, much of the urban core is actually zoned higher than either of these zones, meaning the limited height limits proposed for N1 and N2 do not apply to it. The zones of the urban core instead allow for a wider variety of housing types, in areas like the Glebe or the Golden Triangle, that allow for a wide range of needs.
The Official Plan marks a commitment from the City of Ottawa to undo the development pattern of the previous decades, a pattern which led to fewer 15 minute neighbourhoods, more car-dependency, negative effects on the climate, worse economic development for the city, and more. This is why the zoning bylaw attempts to allow for more units in our typically low-density neighbourhoods, to allow for the gentle density that the Official Plan seeks to achieve. We commend this initiative. The issue comes when we look at the actual heights allowed in the zoning bylaw. The limited heights make it so that achieving these densities will be very difficult, or even impossible, while still allowing for livable unit sizes for the residents who will inhabit these homes for decades to come.
Limiting building heights at 1–2 storeys restricts the ability to achieve the permitted units per lot as per the zoning bylaw. Further, the proposed height cap is creating the conditions for small-sized units that are unable to accommodate a diversity of residents and their changing needs overtime
Permitting increased density across the city is essential for ensuring there is a diversity of housing options for individuals at all ages and stages of life. A vibrant and thriving city includes mixed-use and affordable neighbourhoods. Increasing available housing options across the city is integral to achieving this.
GOHBA also speaks to the high-rise height transition proposed in our draft zoning bylaw. The city seeks to have a transition zone of 30 metres from the rear lot lines of zones that abut high-rises. These MS2 (Mainstreet 2) zones are typically found along main streets that have larger right of ways (think Baseline, Carling, Greenbank, Woodroffe, etc…). This setback requirement will mean that much of the lot which could be used for higher density housing is lost. These streets are the ones where we have the best hopes for efficient, fast, and reliable public transit. Making the best use of the space around them is of utmost importance if we are to allow as many people as possible to have the choice to take sustainable modes of transportation in the coming decades, as the Official Plan seeks.
There are not very many streets that will be seeing the MS2 designation that allows for these heights, which is why it is ever so crucial to make sure that in the few locations we have, we use the space as effectively as possible. This will create the conditions for walkable and transit friendly neighbourhoods, which are more accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, families, children, and more.
Decisions like these are all about giving our citizens as many choices as possible, to find an area in the city that best suits them. This will lead to lower emissions, less traffic, better finances for our city, more space for parks and greenspace, and so many more benefits. While all of these things are positive, we can only achieve them if we are to align our zoning bylaw with the wonderful goals that the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan has set out for the future of our city and the people who live here.
We believe that reducing the setbacks for height transition, as well as allowing for gentle densities of 11 or 14.5 metres (3 or 4 storeys) throughout all of our city’s neighbourhoods, would allow for incremental change that allows property owners the freedom to make reasonable changes that allow our city to thrive over the decades to come. These changes will also align our zoning bylaw with the goals set out in the Official Plan, ensuring that we are not stuck perpetuating the unfortunate mistakes from the last several decades.
As zoning bylaws are only reviewed every few decades, it is even more imperative that we make the correct decisions in this crucial moment. These decisions must not be radical nor heavy-handed, but they must also not lock us into the same problems we have experienced from decisions in our past. Previous decisions that have led to car dependency, a lack of freedom, deteriorating city infrastructure, housing unaffordability, and so much more.
These choices will instead allow for gentle changes throughout much of our city, thus providing more flexibility for residents, better adaptability for climate change, and a city that is ready to support the needs of current and future residents to the best of its abilities. This is why we are writing in support of GOHBA and their call to reduce the restrictive height transition requirements, as well as urge the City of Ottawa to extend allowances for heights to 11.5 or even 14 meters in all neighbourhood zones city-wide to make sure the City of Ottawa can align itself with the goals set out in the Official Plan.
Sincerely,
Marko Miljusevic,
Board Member, Strong Towns Ottawa
Endorsed by :
CAFES (Community Action for Environmental Sustainability)
Ecology Ottawa (EO)
City For All Women Initiative (CAWI)
