As downtown Ottawa residents face limited green space and rising costs, the city and National Capital Commission (NCC) are advancing several projects to create “third spaces” for the community.
“Third space,” coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, refers to informal community areas that allow people to gather outside of home and work. These include cafés, libraries, parks and even barbershops.
After the successful roll-out of the Street Seats pilot program this past summer, Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said she’s excited about the expansion of the plan to revitalize Centretown streets over the next three years. Street seats saw the installation of three “activations along Bank Street, reclaiming curb space, furnished with seating, tables, shading and greenery and adding music, comedy, chess, fitness and other events.”
“It contributes to community safety, because the more active spaces and more eyes that are on the street, the less likely people are to get into trouble,” Troster says. The program will help bring new spaces, murals, and a public bathroom to downtown next year. Troster says the relaunch will also look at creating spaces that can be suitable for the winter months.
Meanwhile, the National Capital Commission intends to double the number of waterfront access points by investing in shoreline revitalization.
Pilot project engages local community
Street Seats transformed sections of Bank Street along Florence, McClaren and Frank Streets into colorful spaces filled with wooden benches and planters. The initiative drew crowds for knitting circles, live music and spontaneous conversations.
Troster says that free, accessible places are essential for community well-being, especially in her ward.
“There is a remarkable lack of green space in the downtown core, which means we don’t have as many parks or gathering spaces as we would like,” Troster says.
The City of Ottawa saw five third space sites open last summer with help from consultant Janette Sadik-Khan, of Bloomberg Associates. The city ran three sites while community partners helped manage the other two.
In surveys for a 2025 progress report, the city found that 91 per cent of attendees liked the new spaces and 66 per cent said they visited nearby businesses more often.
“It makes the street a more attractive place to visit and establish a business,” Troster says, adding that the initiative was about more than just beautification. “We invested in public art. We invested in programming.”
NCC invests in revitalizing shorelines
While the city has been experimenting with the downtown core, the NCC has been reimagining Ottawa’s waterfronts as third spaces.
Jennifer Halsall, a real estate advisor with the NCC, described the shorelines as places where “people from different backgrounds can come together and learn from each other and share in memorable experiences.”
Halsall says the Rideau Canal Skateway is one of the city’s best-known third spaces during the winter. She emphasized that projects like the Dow’s Lake Dock, River House and Westboro Beach are equally vital.
“Our mandate is to create a capital that’s a source of pride for all Canadians, and that means we try to make our spaces as inviting and accessible to as many diverse groups as possible,” Halsall says.
The NCC’s recent waterfront initiatives have drawn strong public response. Halsall says they saw a strong uptick in visitors this June when they reopened Westboro Beach, which had been under renovation since 2022. The project added a new café and restaurant, a boardwalk, and several pathways.
Halsall says more than a million people visited NCC waterfronts this past summer. Beyond turnout, she says they also measure success in how projects inspire new ones.
“People loved River House, and it created a push for more similar experiences,” Halsall says. “Dow’s Lake really was a more spontaneous output from the River House success.”
These shoreline projects face seasonal challenges. When there’s not enough snow for cross-country skiing, and not enough sun for outdoor activities, the NCC is considering saunas, winter trail partnerships, and artistic collaborations to animate spaces year-round.
“We commercialize with purpose,” Halsall says. “If you’re finding something that enhances the park and enhances the experience and doesn’t detract from all of your free offerings and compliments them, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Residents embrace city’s new accessible spaces
With the cost of living, more Ottawa residents such as Melanie Falardeau are turning to the free programming and accessible plazas offered by Street Seats.
“It felt like the city was finally giving us a place to just sit, talk and be part of the community,” says Falardeau, recalling afternoons spent watching live performances at the Street Seats on McClaren. “Not everyone can afford to go out to cafes or restaurants, so having free spaces by the water or downtown makes a huge difference for me.”
Halsall says one of the challenges when designing third spaces is navigating the boundary between infrastructure that’s free to access and the commercial interests of local businesses.
Troster says it’s a distinction that doesn’t need to be rigid. At Street Seats, people could buy takeout from nearby restaurants and enjoy it in the plazas, or choose to sit and chat with friends and family without spending a dime.
“Either way,” Troster says, “it’s a net positive for the community.”
