The time has come for Ottawa, as a major urban centre, to start acting like one. In order to the make the leap into the realm of truly world-class cities, Ottawa needs to reduce its seemingly insatiable appetite for urban sprawl.
For a city with a population under one million, Ottawa is needlessly large geographically, taking up nearly 2,700 sq. kms. .
Now, in and of itself this is not the problem. What is, however, is how the city is considering adding 850 hectares of land to its already burgeoning heft.
For Ottawa to take the next step to becoming a major city, it must embrace density. Anything less will burden Ottawa with the status of a glorified town.
What is the purpose of adding these 850 hectares? If it’s only to satisfy developers who want to build sprawling suburbs, then the plan needs to be completely reworked.
If it’s to allow for more farmland to fall under the city’s jurisdiction, then that’s a whole other matter entirely.
Furthermore, it’s important to look at where these annexations would take place. They are slated to be added where there is limited current development, where their effect on urban sprawl would be greatest.
This cannot be allowed to happen. To maintain the status quo on developing the city is to set the car on cruise control as it drives along the road to ruin.
It is integral to focus on developing and redeveloping the already urbanized parts of this city. Clearly there is the need to maintain parkland, but Ottawa must look at infill to solve its development needs. Find areas of the city, already surrounded by sufficient development, and redevelop them to bring vibrancy and density to the area.
Why is it that such streets as Bank and Elgin streets are lively and popular places to be? It’s because they were built around the streetcars that once roamed Ottawa’s streets. These older neighbourhoods are ideal because they are mixed-use areas, where residential and commercial interests coexist, and urban density prevails.
There is a place in Ottawa for single-family houses, but they do not need to be on massive lots, nor do they need to be located on the outskirts of the city limits.
Again, look at the older neighbourhoods in Ottawa. They’re comprised of small houses on compact and closely-spaced lots. They’re located closer to the core. They are the original suburbs.The new suburbia is eating away at the lifeblood of Ottawa. The new suburbia is choking Ottawa.
The most tangible reason Ottawa needs to increase its density is the planned light rail network. The choice to keep it inside the Greenbelt is key. This is the densest part of the city. This is where the most people live, and where most of the ridership will come from. To have the LRT jump the Greenbelt now would be foolish. It’s imperative to build the network where the people are now.
All great cities give incentives to build density. Ottawa is not there yet.