The City wants to hear from residents about the kind of city they want to live in.
Monday marks the start of an ambitious new plan for growth- it’s goal is to make Ottawa the most liveable mid-sized city in North America.
The official plan has not been redone since 2003- to accommodate the newly amalgamated city.
“Right now you are a capital city. You have a great future ahead of you!” says Joe Berridge, an urban planner who was hired to consult the process of redoing Ottawa’s official plan.
Planners and officials say the plan is outdated and needs to make Ottawa a better place to live, work, do business and visit.
City planning committee chair Jan Harder says the plan will look at how Ottawa can “continue to attract multinational companies that will be the life blood, if you will, on the growth of our institutions, of our hospital, of our universities.”
Barrhaven resident Bernadette St. Pierre says she wants to see “less houses and more farmland! I’d like to see more green!”
Many residents in suburbs want to see better transit and easier ways around. “Infrastructure for sure, to help traffic! We have a lot of congestion areas, the city is expanding.”
Ottawa’s population is expected to rise over one- million people after Canada Day.
The size of Ottawa is already bigger than other Canadian cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto combined.
Public consultation will continue this year- the hope is to bring a new official plan to city council by 2021.
