There is much debate around the Official Plan Process and the conditions that must be set by the City in order to accommodate the growth we are expecting in the coming decades.
Comme toujours, je pense que c’est important que je prenne en considération à la fois les commentaires que j’ai reçu de votre part et la responsabilité de veiller que nous sommes en mesure d’accommoder la croissance prévue pour la durée des politiques du Plan Officiel sur laquelle nous travaillons actuellement. Je vais prendre cette opportunité de partager ce processus, les objectifs et mes pensées.
I won’t leave you in suspense, I support the balanced approach recommended by staff. Over the life of this new Official Plan (until 2046), 195,000 new households are projected to be required in Ottawa.
Avec le scénario « Juste milieu », ce besoin sera atteint par une intensification de 51% (92,100 habitations) dans la zone bâtie et une expansion urbaine d’environ 1 350 à 1 650 hectares bruts – quand même une réduction d’hectares de 30% comparer au maintien du statu quo. La croissance supplémentaire dans la zone bâtie nécessiterait l’ajout de 10 700 habitations (soit juste en dessous de 11 %) parmi celles que l’on construirait en zone verte selon le scénario du statu quo.
We’re discussing a growth management strategy, one component of the new Official Plan (OP). The Orléans Economic Corridor Study will also be a part of the new OP. The OP is a strategic document, it outlines a vision – not rules. The OP, and its secondary plans, guide how the City implements its land use controls, i.e. Zoning By-laws, parkland dedications, and Site Plan Control approvals.
Je crois que cette approche modérée est la meilleure option – protégeant les terres agriculturales et privilégiant la croissance dans les zones déjà bâties.
I have been an ardent supporter of intensification in our ward. Last year I spearheaded the expansion of the Secondary Plan Study for Orléans, which we all know now as the Orléans Economic Corridor Study, and Councillor Dudas and I have been working with staff on a new Community Improvement Plan. We desperately need to increase our rental capacity in Orléans, and especially affordable rentals. Our seniors who own large 4-bedroom homes have no place to downsize to and I believe that Stage 2 LRT is an incredible opportunity to build affordable rentals close to transit.
It will be of no surprise that, like most of you I believe in moderation. And while the balanced approach to growth does require some growing out, it is just as important as growing up – in a way that will serve the needs of different households. We are an incredible city and it is little wonder why so many new households are moving to here. We already feel the pressures of not having enough housing to accommodate the residents we currently have, and it feels like owning a home has become out of reach for an entire generation.
Nous avons besoin de nouveaux logements et ceux-ci doivent être variés afin de répondre aux différents besoins individuels. Le logement, actuel et future, doit être abordable peu importe si c’est loué ou acheté.
Past planning principles often relied on keeping things separate – you work where there are workplaces and you live where there are houses. We know that this is completely unsustainable. For our environment, for our mental health, for our economy, for our general well-being. We now believe and know that having a place to live, work and play within the same area is a better way to lay things out, and I have been working very hard to make this a reality in our community. Intensification is one way to move from old to new.
Ceci ne veut pas dire que nous construisons des immeubles géants tout partout – nous ne pouvons pas construire des édifices de 10 étages juste à côté d’une maison unifamiliale. Ce n’est pas tout le monde qui veut, ou qui a le besoin, de vivre dans un condo à 2 chambres ou dans une maison unifamiliale à 4 chambres.
So, we need to make changes to what our traditionally single-family home neighbourhoods look like – to meet intensification targets by using our existing land more effectively. Mixed-use construction and low-rise housing forms that are more dense than single- or semi-detached dwellings within existing neighbourhoods need to be explored to keep housing affordable and create better neighbourhoods. This change will be hard for some and take time to achieve. Growth outside the current urban boundary will ensure that diverse options continue to be available, and prices are moderated. We want a framework that encourages diverse forms of density, we want builders to be able to build it, and they need to remain financially viable to do that.
Peu importe le scénario, des innovations dans le domaine de forme et d’utilisation des bâtiments seront nécessaire au cours des prochaines 25 années. L’un des plus grands défis pour la Ville et le marché de l’habitation viendrait du transfert vers la zone bâtie de près de 30 000 habitations avec entrée privée au rez-de-chaussée autrement destinées à être construites en zone verte (maisons unifamiliales, maisons jumelées et maisons en rangée).
Look, there are different reasons to support or oppose the different options before us. Our individual beliefs and ideology influence those reasons. No option will ever completely please everyone, and that is okay. We’re lucky to live in a society where we can express opposing views openly. I want a better neighbourhood where we can live, work and play and I want to make sure the industry and the market is able to get us there. I will continue to work very hard to support this vision through the Economic Corridor Study and the Community Improvement Plan. I ran on a platform of building our community and building our economy, and this is the hard work I have been doing since December 2018. We need to set the conditions to attract these jobs and to ensure we are attracting builders interested in providing housing options for everyone. I believe this balanced approach will achieve these goals.
