Reimagining Neighbourhoods Ecology
Transcript of Reimagining Neighbourhoods Ecology
REIMAGINING NEIGHBOURHOODS
A CASE FOR 15-MINUTE COMMUNITIES
Ecology Ottawa 2020
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents 1
Climate Change in Ottawa 2
Where we are today 3
Recommendations from Ecology Ottawa 4
More Density 5
More Mixed-use Development 9
Less Car Dependency 12
Conclusion 16
Sources 17
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CLIMATE CHANGE BACKGROUND (OTTAWA CONTEXT)
Climate change is a global phenomenon that implicates governments of all orders. While climate change is global
in its reach, its impacts are felt hardest at a local level. Cities like Ottawa have the greatest access to means of
change. Despite this, we are failing to keep up with the ever-growing threat of a changing climate.
Currently, the city of Ottawa has recognized a need to reduce community emissions by 68% by 2030, and 100%
by 2050.1 In 2018, Ottawa’s community emissions were approximately 6000 kilotons CO2e.2 This means the city
needs to reduce its emissions by 4080 kilotons of CO2e in 10 years.
Looking at Ottawa’s biggest emitters, it is clear that two main sources are responsible for the majority: buildings
(45%) and transportation (44%).3 Within these sectors, two of the highest sources for emissions are residential
housing and on-road transportation.4 If Ottawa has any hopes of meeting its anticipated emissions goals, it will
need to seriously reconsider the way the city currently approaches transportation and residential housing.
The emissions that stem from transportation and housing are closely linked. Largely due to a phenomenon known
as urban sprawl, the way cities are built has led to a massive spike in emissions coming from both sectors. Urban
sprawl describes low-density residential building that continuously expands outwards. This style of growth has
led to thousands of additional kilometres of roads and more spread-out communities. This, in turn, has evolved
into a car-dependent system where most people living beyond the urban centre need a vehicle to travel
for their most basic necessities such as commuting to work and accessing groceries, parks, and pharmacies.
To make matters worse, the emissions stemming from single-family households (typically the result of sprawl)
are far worse than those coming from multi-unit dwellings.5
Image Source: City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission6
It comes as no surprise that the 2020 report from the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the City of Ottawa
demonstrated that at our current rate, 2030 will see temperature increases of 1.8C, snowfall decreases of
10%, and almost a tripling of very hot days above 30C. 7 These changes are expected to have direct
implications on health and safety, water services, transportation and infrastructure, and livability.8
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WHERE WE ARE TODAY
In the spring of 2019, the city of Ottawa declared a climate emergency. This declaration led to a series of climate
goals which would greatly define the output of policy for the coming years.
Currently, this city is in the process of developing a new Official Plan for the next 25-year period. This revision
comes along with the revision of three topic-focused Master Plans (the Infrastructure Master Plan, Transportation
Master Plan, and the Greenspace Master Plan). Some of the core goals outlined by the Climate Change Master
Plan were to “apply a climate lens to the new Official Plan and its supporting documents”, explore options for
green infrastructure, and encourage private actions through incentives.9
The Climate Change Master Plan stated that the first five years (2020-2025) would be
critical years for the city to set itself on the right track.
Meanwhile, the city was put to the test early on in 2020 when it was faced with a vote to expand the urban
boundary in the city’s Official Plan. The vote resulted in a 1650-hectare expansion of the city’s urban boundary.
For many, this meant that the first environmental test for the city was a failure. An expanded boundary meant
more destruction of Greenfield, more roads and cars, and inefficient development that results in greater
emissions.
The motion to expand the boundary passed even though one of the preliminary policy directions, set by the city
itself, is to:
"Ensure policies support evolution of the built environment into walkable, 15-minute
neighbourhoods through building dense, complete, compact, well-connected communities. This
includes a diverse mix of land uses that reduce and disincentivizes the need for a private vehicle
and makes it more feasible to live car light or car free.”10
In the summer of 2020, as the city is preparing its recovery plan from the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the
city are calling for a green and just recovery. 15-minute neighbourhoods have become a large part of the
conversation.
The concept of a 15-minute neighbourhood is an achievable tool for the city to tackle climate change on many
fronts. Most significantly, 15-minute neighbourhoods have the potential to reduce building and transportation
emissions (the city's two biggest emitters) while also promoting greener and better living for all city residents.
The city is prepared to take serious action on climate change and plans to do so within the next 5 years, as they
develop some of the city's most important policy documents. Ecology Ottawa has reached out to community
representatives and associations to help define what we think a 15-minute community would look like in Ottawa.
This document is designed to share our thoughts on the viability of 15-minute neighbourhoods so that we can
assist in making the city’s goals a reality. Overall, we hope it may lead to better communities for all.
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A VISION FROM ECOLOGY OTTAWA
To fight back against the threat of climate change, and to promote the development of a better city for all,
Ecology Ottawa has begun a 15-minute neighbourhood campaign. The concept of a 15-minute neighbourhood,
which means an individual can reach basic amenities (including a grocery store, pharmacy, park, transit
stop/station, and café) within a 15 minute walk of their home is a winning idea that will make life better, healthier,
more affordable, and greener for all.
15-minute communities are still an uncommon sight in Ottawa, but with the political will and knowledge to make
change, they could quickly become the focal point of the city’s environmental and developmental goals. To get
there, we will need to promote 15-minute neighbourhoods across the city increasing density and mixed-use
development, while decreasing car dependency. With these three steps as a framework, Ecology Ottawa believes
that Ottawa can become the green capital of Canada.
"Promote 15-minute neighbourhoods across the city by increasing density and mixed-
use development, while decreasing car dependency"
Throughout the next 2 to 3 years, Ottawa is embarking on the monumental task of re-writing its Official Plan,
including the Transportation Master Plan (TMP), the Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP), and the Greenspace Master
Plan (GMP). In addition, there is an ongoing R4 zoning review and the possibility of a city-wide zoning review in
the future. With these circumstances in mind, this document will describe some of the steps and barriers that we
will face in the fight to stop climate change and build a better city.
15-MINUTE NEIGHBOURHOODS
Less car-dependency
More mixed-use
development
More density
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The first step to building a better and more environmentally friendly city is to explore options that increase
density. More specifically, to increase density in a smart and intentional way.
Historically, development has existed on two polar ends of the density spectrum. On one end, cities have been
building low-density single-family households which take up vast patches of land. On the other, tall and very
dense buildings, with small unit sizes, have been built in city centres.
Image Source: Ryerson University, Density Done Right. 11
This type of piecemeal intensification has led to increases in municipal service and infrastructure costs, housing
affordability issues, longer commute times, and more greenhouse gas emissions.12 Similar issues are being faced
in the Toronto region, where this type of expansion has added pressure to local agriculture, the preservation of
the green belt, local ecosystems, and drinking water systems. 13
WHERE DO WE LOOK FOR DENSITY?
The R4 zoning review, currently being conducted by the City of Ottawa, is a great first step in encouraging gentle
density in Ottawa. The Environmental Commissioner of Canada noted in their 2019 report that “removing barriers
to medium density housing is noted as a key action needed to reduce sprawl and associated carbon emissions
in the province”.14 That said, the city cannot stop with the zoning review. Historically, municipalities aiming to
improve their communities tackled the issue with multiple tools, using a set of incentives and disincentives. In
other words, encouraging builders and people to seek mid-sized dwellings while also deterring them from low-
density building.
MORE DENSITY
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Townships across the country (and internationally) have been taking many steps in this direction. Caledon,
Ontario has recently implemented a green development discount where developers can receive large fee
discounts of up to 27.5% for building greener.15 Portland, Oregon uses a sliding scale that awards size bonuses
(allowing the building to be slightly larger) based on each added home. An additional bonus is offered if one or
more of the homes are offered below market price.16 Density bonus programs, not unlike the one that currently
exists for Ontario, can also be of great use. Builders will be allowed to build more densely than is typically
permitted for that zone in exchange for providing a public good like affordable housing or a shared park.17 Some
cities have used graduated density zones (GDZ) which encourages building single homes on smaller lots while
the large lots are reserved for multi-unit dwellings.18
“By creating building and zoning policies that support distributed density and also
require that new construction meet ambitious energy efficiency targets, municipalities
have a unique opportunity to achieve broader climate benefits through intensification.” 19
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO INTENSIFY?
Approaching the issue at a neighbourhood-level will help make 15-minute communities more feasible. Each
neighbourhood throughout the city has a different set of needs. Moreover, some neighbourhoods in Ottawa are
much closer to being 15-minute neighbourhoods than others. Because of these differences in capacity, it is
important that intensification targets are developed at a neighbourhood-level. Unfortunately, city-wide targets
do not allow areas that are ready for high-level intensification to meet their potential. Neighbourhood-level
targets ensure that the city is reaching its highest intensity levels without putting a burden on unprepared
neighbourhoods.
Healthy intensification cannot be done if the city continues to look at density exclusively in the context of transit
zones. All too often, municipalities enforce strict density targets in transit areas and unintentionally leave their
surrounding neighbourhoods behind. Ottawa will need to commit to expanding its intensification strategy
beyond transit areas. This is particularly important when considering the cities emission targets. To meet a city-
wide emissions reduction strategy, we need to ensure intensification is implemented everywhere possible. The
city has ambitious goals that cannot be met by transit corridors alone.
Luckily, many existing communities have the potential for low and mid-scale retrofitting that would make them
more walkable, transit-connected, and environmentally friendly. The most economical and effective way to make
this happen is by introducing medium and gentle density.20 Toronto has begun plans for a city-wide project
called TransformTO which includes targets to make all new buildings near-zero emissions by 2030 and to provide
retrofitting incentives on existing buildings so that they may become 40% more efficient by 2050. 21 A similar
plan in Ottawa could mean that all new buildings in the expansion zone be built into walkable neighbourhoods,
while the existing infrastructure is retrofitted to achieve near-zero-emissions.
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WHAT’S STOPPING US?
Currently, several barriers are preventing communities from
becoming more walkable. The majority exist in outdated bylaws
which favour an older form of low-density building. Another
barrier that exists is the presence of false perceptions. One often
hears that the reason so much low-density housing exists is
because there's a demand for it (in other words – people want
sprawl).
Unfortunately, current biases that work in favour of low-density
building has made the cost of living in walkable and complete
neighbourhoods unobtainable. City bylaws and regulations are the
main proponents of these biases. Starting with the proliferation of
free-to-use highways, and ending with subsidized spending on
servicing sprawled areas and reducing developer costs and
charges, there are many ways cities continue to encourage
intensification.
One Ottawa-specific example is the existence of the 30% threshold
for single-detached dwellings in Ottawa. Right now, bylaws make
it so that 30% of all newly built dwellings in the city are single
detached. This pre-determined rule guarantees that single-
detached housing gets built regardless of actual demand. The
recent threshold change from 45 to 30 per cent was done to allow
more density and to reflect the lowering demand for single-
detached housing.22 The city also acknowledged that reducing the
minimum is good for housing affordability and the environment.23
That said, eliminating the minimum all together would ensure that Ottawa can reach its highest ecological
potential. The development market would continue to build single-detached housing to suit demand but would
not be forced to build more than is required. In all, this ensures the city’s needs are met without unnecessary
affordability and environmental consequences.
"In the approximately 200 square kilometres of Toronto that is zoned exclusively for
single-detached dwellings, adding one duplex per hectare could create enough new
housing to accommodate 45,000 residents."24
Of course, many of these biases still exist and need to be assessed. Some city by-laws that were once necessary
for development no longer suit the needs of the city today. With the growing threat of climate change, we and
our cities need to take unprecedented action, and ask ourselves how our decisions hurt the city we live in and
what conditions permit these damaging decisions.
What Toronto residents can teach
us about housing demand
Image Source: Skitterphoto
In a 2012 survey of Toronto-area
residents, it was found that the
biggest factor in someone's decision
to buy a house is the price (79%).
81% of those surveyed said that if
price were not an issue, they would
give up a low-density (single-
detached with a yard) dwelling for a
home in a walkable neighbourhood
with good access to transit.
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WHY ELIMINATING R1 ZONING MAY BE THE ANSWER
Perhaps the largest barrier in building greener, liveable and dense communities is restrictive residential zoning
policies. In Ottawa, there are large sections of land zoned exclusively for the building of single-detached dwellings
(R1). Historically, these R1 exclusive zones have led to higher housing costs and significant environmental
damage. On average, single-detached dwellings consume 54% more energy for heating and 26% more for
cooling than multi-family units.25 In fact, doubling population density can lead to a “reduction in CO2 emissions
from household travel and residential energy consumption by 48% and 35%, respectively”.26
Of course, eliminating single-detached housing is not a realistic expectation. Instead, other alternatives like
upzoning should be considered to increase density. This change could happen on many levels. In 2019, Seattle
began allowing up to two Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) per home lot.27 They also eliminated tedious barriers
such as parking minimums, occupancy requirements, and design restrictions to increase feasibility of
implementation. Accessory dwelling units (being additional dwellings either attached to the main dwelling or the
property) are a great way to boost density without much effort from the city. They also give families opportunity
to add another line of income, grow, or share under-utilized spaces.
In that same year, Oregon became a major trailblazer in re-zoning policy as it passed a state-wide law to require
cities with a population over 25,000 to allow triplexes and fourplexes in all traditionally single-detached
neighbourhoods.28 Minneapolis passed a similar law for duplexes and triplexes.29
Due to Ottawa’s cumulative-style zoning
structure, this type of approach would
essentially convert many R1 zones into R2
or R3. In other words, the city could allow
the building of duplexes, triplexes, or
fourplexes for all R1 zones. The impacts
caused by this change would be a gradual
shift over time. Approving a blanket up-
zoning strategy would reduce chances of
targeted gentrification and increase
housing affordability, all while making
neighbourhoods more walkable,
environmentally friendly, and active.
Image Source: Ryerson University, Density Done Right. 30
Example of how middle density can achieve the same impact as a large tower
without the change of neighbourhood character
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THE MANY BENEFITS OF MIXED-USE DEVELOPING
There are many benefits in creating vibrant, mixed-use communities. Aside from providing more jobs and
increased ease of access, mixed-use developing is cost-effective, profitable for the city and local business,
non-intrusive of Greenfield spaces, reduces emissions, and leads to positive health outcomes.31
As a whole, mixed-used developing is at the heart of 15-minute communities and is the main reason people
across North America are saying they would trade-in a single-detahced home with a lawn for a walkable
community.32 33 A report by four Medical Officers of Health in the Greater Toronto Hamilton area stated that
mixed-use development was a key aspect in supporting “complete communities, active transportation and
associated positive health outcomes”.34
Most importantly, mixed-use development uses significantly less space. Delaware found that compact building
used 20 to 45 per cent less land and increased quality of life.35 Most often, mixed-use development is revered
for its cost-effective and
economically stimulating
nature. With all this in
mind, Ottawa should
integrate grocery stores,
schools, local retail, live-
work housing, parks, civic
spaces and universally
designed amenities into all
areas of our city including
in and around residential
zones.
Image Source: Shopping Centre Business 36
While mixed-use building is on the rise, having zoning and by-law policies in place that deter developers from
this style of development can be the difference between a liveable neighbourhood and an undesirable one.37
The city’s strategy towards mixed-use building must also incentivise developers to come to residential areas. This
is because mixed-use building is meant to help boost livability for residents while also helping the environment.
THE DANGER OF STRIP MALLS
Strip malls are a familiar sight throughout many neighbourhoods in Ottawa. While once a commonly visited style
of development, strip malls have become an outdated feature of sprawling cities. Strip malls have been identified
MORE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
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as a by-product of harmful municipal bylaws like single-use zoning, minimum parking requirements, and car-
focused setback regulations.38
These conditions result in strip malls that are not built to last, and instead deteriorate or become abandoned
within decades.39 Additionally, they encourage the use of automobiles, reduce neighbourhood walkability and
livability, and further add to the sprawling nature of our city. Big box stores and strip malls both occupy acres of
valuable land with their excessive size and parking lots. These types of buildings are designed to siphon money
from a town, they produce less tax money than a mixed-use development, and they are often rewarded with
subsidies and investments from the government.40
In the last decade, many cities have taken to re-designing their strip malls and making them productive uses of
land once again.
“Transforming big-box stores, strip malls and shopping centres into mixed-use
communities with a range of housing typologies, densities and scales can add housing
and employment in neighbourhoods with good access to transit and other services.”41
Examples include Mississauga’s Reimagining Mall Project, where the city has been reviewing a large-scale
redesign of five major strip malls and their surrounding locations. The focus of the project is to “ensure that
future intensification in these areas is done in a way that fosters healthy, mixed-use communities. The idea being
that you can live, work, play and raise a family all within your own ‘complete community’”.42 The project planning
phase took only 2 years and will see these areas become community nodes in the near future. The city intends
to increase density numbers in these areas which will help support the local growth while also reducing the city’s
environmental impact.43
Image Source: Simon Tanenbaum44
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Other examples include:
Toronto’s Don Mills Shops which combine low-rise retail and mid and high rise residential and office
space. This area also acts as a social gathering space which brings in the outdoors.45
Ottawa’s Elmvale Acres which took an old shopping centre and integrated it into the surrounding
community and transit station. Elmvale Acres is now a planned walkable and liveable neighbourhood with
a mix of low, medium, and high-rise buildings.46
Etobicoke’s Humbertown redevelopment took an old concrete plaza and transformed it into a green,
mixed-use space for residents, workers, and socializing.47
Brampton’s Shoppers World redevelopment which is set to become a new urban core for the city and
has been designed as a “vibrant, transit-supportive, human-scaled and walkable destination where people
can live, work, play and shop”.48
Image Source: RioCan 49
Stopping these harmful strip mall developments and retrofitting outdated locations would lead to more walkable
and liveable communities across the city that generate more profit and don’t have excessive negative effects on
our environment. Strip-malls are just one of the many areas cities should re-evaluate when it comes to the value
of mixed-use development. Ottawa has seen increases in mixed-use infrastructure in recent decades, but there
is still a strong lack of its spread into the suburbs and many ways it can improve.
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At the heart of all sprawl issues lies this single major barrier – car dependency. In Ottawa, car emissions are one
of the largest sources of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. This problem is, in part, due to the
massive commute times that people must endure daily.
For many, on one end of these commutes is a sprawled-out neighbourhood of single-detached homes. Because
we rely on cars so much, these homes are a driving-distance away from the most basic amenities like grocery
stores, parks, pharmacies, and transit stations.
These stores are separated by massive parking lots, designed to fit hundreds of cars
from the surrounding neighbourhoods. Greenspaces, agricultural land, and
ecosystems have all been destroyed to make room for these roads, box stores, and
parking lots. This growing dependence on vehicles over the years has taken its toll on
the environment. In a 2019 report, the provincial government identified sprawl as a
major enabler of emissions.50
All the impractical living and destruction doesn’t even come at the cost of convenience.
In Ottawa, the average commute is nearly an hour and a half each day.51 Considering
that commuting in a car is ranked as people’s least favourite regular activity52 we need
to ask ourselves who we’re really helping when we continue to allow unwalkable
neighbourhoods to develop.
Image Source: Ryerson University,
Density Done Right 53
Household emissions can increase by approximately 4 times for people who live
outside the core – mostly due to car use. 54
STEPPING OUT OF THE VEHICLE
The fastest way to mitigate this growing issue is to stop feeding it. New communities must be built without an
over-reliance on cars. In practice, this means communities are being built and retrofitted with mixed-use
development and ready access to active and public transportation.
While a vibrant mixed-use community can eliminate the need for local car use, people will still need to reach
other locales. An extensive public and active transportation network is vital. Not only will it make for a healthier
lifestyle for those living in the area, but it will also provide them with all the freedoms associated with personal
modes of transportation. Eliminating the use of a vehicle can mean savings up to $11,000 a year.55 What the city
can expect is cleaner air, healthier residents, and increased chances of meeting the goals set out by the city’s
Climate Change Master Plan and Official Plan policy directions.
LESS CAR DEPENDENCY
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“Neighbourhood design and the provision of transit can have a substantial impact on
emissions of air pollutants by influencing vehicle use, transit use and active modes of
transportation.”56
THE PRECARIOUS CASE OF PARKING MINIMUMS
One of the most basic yet impactful results of car dependency are parking minimums. Minimum parking
requirements seriously impact the walkability of neighbourhoods as they promote lots that separate
infrastructure and take away from a community’s character. Generally, the cost of building and maintaining these
lots is passed down from the developer to the resident, making housing more expensive. These requirements
can also be a costly burden for small, local entrepreneurs. 57
Banning parking minimums has been done in cities around the world.58 Examples include Halifax, Buffalo, and
Mexico City. In most cases, street parking is enough to maintain parking needs for residents. 59
To start, the change would only apply to new developments meaning that changes would be gradual and would
be implemented in such a way that doesn’t shock the current system.60 Additionally, it’s been found that the
development industry regulates parking effectively on its own.61 Every neighbourhood, and every development
within a neighbourhood, is designed to satisfy the needs of a community. In a world where no parking minimums
exist, developers will create parking only when they recognize the necessity for the neighbourhood. If a developer
wants to include parking to make their apartment building, more livable they can do so without over-building.
All the while, the removal of minimums can even lead to the repurposing and redeveloping of older infrastructure,
making the city more livable and innovative, if it extended to existing lots.62
THE ROAD DIET
Another up-and-coming policy change that has grabbed the attention of cities around the world is road diets.
Road diets work by reducing multi-lane roadways to single-lane while adding new space for pedestrians, public
transportation and active transportation.63 This has the added benefit of calming traffic. Ottawa has already
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begun planning streets of this style surrounding the newly planned LRT stations. They are a cost-effective strategy
for building safe, liveable, and green neighbourhoods.
The benefits of road diets: 64
1. Safer streets
Some studies have found that converting a 4 lane into a 2 lane
with a common turning lane in the middle can reduce crashes by
as much as 47%.
2. Increase in active transportation
With a design that has intentional features to keep active travellers
safe, accidents can be significantly reduced. Considering that safety
is the number one reason people chose not to bike, these
convenient changes could lead to more people walking and biking.
In turn, neighbourhoods become healthier and more
environmentally friendly.
3. Better livability
Creates neighbourhoods that are better for pedestrians to work,
play, and explore local business. In part due to improved
convenience and appearance, these streets become focal points in
neighbourhoods.
4. Increase multi-modal use
Along with active transportation increases, road diets often lead to
conditions that favour public transportation networks. Overall, the
city could expect to see increases in all sustainable modal uses.
Following the money
In order to see many of the changes discussed in this document come into fruition, budgetary reallocations and
evaluations will also need to happen. Currently, many of the city’s fiscal commitments favor car-centric expansion
and spend too little on greener forms of transportation.
For example, between 2018 and 2022 the city has planned to spend $28 million on stand-alone active
transportation projects ($7 million a year).65 Meanwhile, one 3 year, 3.3km road widening project in Barrhaven is
costing the city $113 million ($38 million a year).66 This represents an investment difference of $31 million) a year
– and that’s only for a single road project.
In the city’s first round of consultations on the new Transportation Master Plan (published April 2020), city
residents listed transit expansion, active transportation, and reduced traffic as top issues. 75% of the respondents
believe the city needs to take steps towards addressing climate change and reducing GHG emissions.67
By investing more money into public transportation and active transportation, the city would be tackling climate
issues while also reducing car dependency – therefore reducing traffic congestion. This style of positive
incentivising is extremely important because expanding roads does not reduce traffic.68 In two cases – one in
San Francisco and one in Seoul – highways carrying over 100,000 daily drivers were removed and traffic did not
worsen while environmental conditions improved.69
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REDEFINING SUSTAINABILITY
Other small changes that make a big difference include changing the way the city defines sustainability. In the
past decade, our understanding of sustainability and environmental issues has expanded exponentially. Despite
this growth in knowledge, much of our policy and definitions have stayed the same and have become outdated.
When it comes to transport, modal share is one of the best ways to monitor and develop sustainable travel. Right
now, the city’s 2031 target for sustainable mode share is 50%. The city includes cycling, walking, transit, and
‘automobile passenger’ as a sustainable form of travel.70 Despite the low targets set out, the city’s transportation
networks are still struggling to keep up. Sustainable travel in Ottawa accounts for 38% of trips.71
The inclusion of ‘automobile passenger’ as a sustainable form of travel is yet another outdated indicator that
only inflates our perception of sustainability. Without the passenger, Ottawa’s sustainability share drops to 32%.
The Government of Canada counts sustainable mode share as active transportation, walking, and public
transportation.72 This should be the same for the city of Ottawa where 47,845 people are pairing-up to drive to
work each day.
*where sustainable travel does not include ‘automobile passenger’
With more 15-minute neighbourhoods and increased investment in transit and active transportation networks,
the city can expect increases in the use of sustainable mode share. If the city hopes to achieve its goal of net-
zero emissions, it will need to update and increase its sustainable mode share target (walking, cycling and transit).
For example, a 75% sustainable mode share target could get 171,986 people out of cars. This could, in turn, lead
to an emissions reduction as high as 619 kilotons of GHG emissions per year – 24% of the entire
transportation sector emissions and 32% of all on-road emissions.i
Keeping in mind that this single change could result in a one-third shift in on-road emissions is an encouraging
sign. One large shift or many small shifts can lead to massive changes that go a long way in aiding our
environment. Politically, this brings the city closer to the goals that city council has set-out. Car dependency has
been a growing threat for many decades as entire cities have been built around roads and highways. The ideas
highlighted in this section instead propose cities that are built around people and the communities the live in.
i Numbers based on 2013 Transportation Master Plan, 2017 and 2018 Community and Corporate GHG inventories, and Statistics Canada 2016 census data. The calculation assumes that the average person emits 3.6 tonnes of GHG emission per year through transportation (TMP 2013), and calculates what a shift to 25% of total driving commuters (2016 census) could imply for emissions loss for the transportation sector and on-road emissions (GHG Inventories).
2031 Target (City) Actual (2016)
Non-Sustainable Travel 59 67
*Sustainable Travel 41 32
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CONCLUSION
Despite the fact that modern development tendencies have drastically worsened environmental conditions, the
knowledge and will to make change is present. 15-minute communities resonates with many because it brings
us back to our roots and creates a more enjoyable lifestyle without hurting the planet. The concept makes life
cheaper, happier, healthier, and more cost effective for all. If in the process of making our communities a better
place, we can also fight the greatest threat that exists today then the city has an obligation to do so.
At Ecology Ottawa, we find the best ways to make this image into a reality is to tackle density, mixed-use
development, and car dependency at once. If done right, 15-minute neighbourhoods can be introduced gradually
all across Ottawa. But it is important that it is done right. This change requires long term commitment from the
city that is backed by policy and budgetary commitment. All too often good changes like these are only half-
heartedly implemented and lead to more harm than good. We believe the evidence shows that real good change
may occur if the will to implement it is present amongst city councillors and staff.
With the ongoing policy re-evaluation of the OP and corresponding MPs, now is the time for this change. We all
have an opportunity to make 15-minute neighbourhoods, and the many great changes that come with them, a
reality for Ottawa in the next 25 years.
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SOURCES
1 City of Ottawa, Climate Change Master Plan (2019). https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/climate_change_mplan_en.pdf. 2 City of Ottawa, Results of 2017 and 2018 Community and Corporate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories (2019).
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