Escarpment Area District Plan
A Community Design Plan to Implement the
Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy 20/20
November 2008
DELCAN
This Study was prepared by:
Urban Strategies Inc.
197 Spadina Avenue, Suite 600
Toronto, ON
M5T 2C8
Tel 416 340 9004
Fax 416 340 8400
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank John Abel, Aled AbIorwerth, Andrew Aitkens, William Aitken, Doug Allen, Richie Allen, Sadel Almazi, John Archibald, David Arsenault, Richard Asselin, John Ayres,
Linda Bartlett, Luc Bédard, B.B. Berkovic, Ken Beselt, Paul Biela, B. Bradley, Reg Brazier, Mary Braun, Doug Bridgewater, Barry Brock, John Brownfield, Elorius Cain, Brian Caines, Archie
Campbell, James Carnegie, Dennis Carr, Mike Carson, Doug Casey, Mike Casey, David Caulfeild, David Charles, Hiu Yin Choi, Anne Coffey, Catherine Coleman, Marilyn Corneau, Bertin Côté,
Gilles & Jacqueline Courtemanche, Joyce Crago, Judith Daoust, Eric Darwin, Melanie Doerig, Dave Donaldson, H. Dowd, Carl Dubé, Pierre Dubé, Robert Dunn, Rodney Durnin, Leo Elnitsky,
Robert W. T. Ennor, Daniel Finch, David Fleming, Sheila Flynn, Dale Ford, Daniel Fournie, Andrew Francis, Larry Frazer, Torchy Freeman, Peter Frenck, D. Fry, Andy N. Gelling, Marcel Georget,
Lynn Graham, Dennis Gratton, Marc Gratton, Xiaebing Guo, T. Habicht, H. Hagne, Jennifer Hambridge, Michael Hatfield, Josee Helie, Lola Henderson, Michael & Michelle Herberg, John
Hillier, Linda Hoad, Rita Hogan, Diane Holmes, Lise Hood, David Hopper, Jon Hunt, John Hurkmans, Dennis Jacobs, Rafael Janica, David Jeanes, Marnie Johnstone, Marie Keasey, M.G. Kelly,
Marguarite Kieley, Richard Kilstrom, John M. Kingma, Karen Knowles, Claudette & Philip Kong, Emi Koyariagi, Hélène & André Labadie, Lisette Lacroix, Colin Lake, Margaret Lange, Sylvain
Lapointe, Guy Larocque, Phyllis Larsen, Ned Lathrop, Janine Laurencin, Dan & Odette Laurin, F. Juliette Lawson, Andrew Lay, Stuart Lazear, Eliane Leclerc, Rick & Lynn Legault, Aileen Leo,
Caroll Lesage, Christine Lodge, Therese Murphy, David Liang, Marie Litalier, Jonathan Loan, Susan Lurk, Jerry MacGillivray, Miriam MacNeil, Kalubi Marthe Masengu, Heather McArthur, Lois
K. Maody, Marion Martinson Lynn McCarney, Peter McCourt, Sylvia McCoy, Marta McDermott, Leticia Messier, Bratislav Mineic, Fiona E. Moon, Brenda Morehouse, Heather Morehouse, Matt
Morgan-Brown, Larry Morrison, Tom Morris, Marie Carole Mouden, Jeanne Mouter, Marsha Musgrove, Alia Nakanishi, Aliza Nakanski, Hoda Nassim, Ross Nicholls, Dan Nixey, Allan Nodelman,
Sharon Nodelman, Alma Norman, Abdol Nouraeyan, Terry O’Shaughnessy, Karen Ostafichuk, Frank Paterson, Lesley Paterson, Grant Peart, Stephen Perkins, C. Pestieou, John Petrolian, Ray
Pollock, Jerome Poulin, Elizabeth Powles, Colleen Price, Lola Price, Kirsten Rainer, Jeff Richstone, Sabra Ripley, Cam Robertson, Ramon Ross, Paul Royce, Andrew Sacret, N. Savoia, Elizabeth
Scott, Laleh Shabnavard, John Shields, John Shipman, Alan Smuck, Robert Smythe, Joan Spice, Robert Spicer, Peter Steacy, Mihaly Szabo, Walter Sullivan, Brian D. Tam, Robert Tambay, Mary
Taylor, Rosemary Taylor, Adam Thompson, Lori Thornton, Barry Townsend, Louise Treparnia, Teressa Trollope, Tom Trottin, Judy Tulloch, Michel Vincent, E. Volder Scott, S.A. Warner, Brenda
& John Watts, Terry Weber, Jessica Webster, Michael Welch, John Whitman, Andy Wielgoiz, Rod Wilmore, Stanley Wilder, Amy Wong, Tony Wong, Jacqueline Wood, Joan Yanofsky... If any
participant had been missed, you have our apology and our appreciation.
DELCAN
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
Section
01
provides
the
background and overview of
the study including a summary
of the consultation process and
feedback received.
Section 02 defines some of the
wider trends that have impacted
the area. It introduces the Vision
for the Escarpment Area of
tomorrow and the principles that
will guide its transformation.
Section 03 provides a snapshot
of the study area, highlighting
the physical conditions that help
to define it.
Section 04 presents the plan
for the district. It defines the
framework for development
and presents a series of more
detailed open space and built
form strategies.
Section 05 presents additional
detail to the specific priority
Open Space Opportunities
which will be introduced within
the area’s urban systems.
Section 06 offers a series of
redevelopment options for four
key sites in the Escarpment
District. It provides details on
a recommended development
strategy for each site and
detailed guidelines.
This section presents recommendations on how the Vision and
the related priority interventions
can be brought forward by the
City of Ottawa in partnership
with its stakeholders.
1.1 What is the Escarpment Area
2.1 Urban Trends
3.1 Analysis of the
4.1 The Vision
5.1 Upper Town Commons
6.1 Development Parcels
7.1 Key interventions
4.2 The Principles
5.2 Escarpment Park
7.2 Implementation &
4.3 The Framework
5.3 Bronson Park
6.2 Ottawa Technical High School
Sites:
4.4 Where Change may occur
5.4 Mid-Block Mews
THE STUDY
District Plan?
1.2 What are the Study
Objectives?
1.3 How will the Plan be
used?
1.4 The Process
1.5 Building on DOUDS
1.6 What We Were Told
THE FUTURE
2.2 Local Impacts
TODAY
Escarpment District
3.2 The Policy Framework
3.3 What can be Built Today?
THE VISION &
FRAMEWORK
OPEN SPACE
OPPORTUNITIES
5.5 South LeBreton & Capital Parks
5.6 Streetscape Improvements
DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
- South Site
- North Site [Options 1-4]
6.3 Albert, Bronson, Slater Site
6.4 South LeBreton Site
6.5 Summary of Development
Options
MOVING
FORWARD
Incentive Tools
OTTAWA ESCARPMENT AREA DISTRICT PLAN
1.0
THE STUDY | THE FUTURE | TODAY | THE VISION & FRAMEWORK | OPEN SPACE OPPORTUNITIES | DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES | MOVING FORWARD
Contents
Future view from the new LeBreton Flats Community towards Central Park and Upper Town
OTTAWA ESCARPMENT AREA DISTRICT PLAN
THE STUDY | THE FUTURE | TODAY | THE VISION & FRAMEWORK | OPEN SPACE OPPORTUNITIES | DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES | MOVING FORWARD
Over the next 15 years the Escarpment District will be transformed into one of the most desirable
neighbourhoods in Ottawa. It will be recognized as an active, diverse and attractive Downtown
community and celebrated for its natural features, the quality and character of its open spaces, public
realm and new buildings. At its heart, a new Central Park will act as a neighbourhood focus and will
support a range of formal and informal activities. New high quality developments and an enhanced
green network will bridge the gap between the emerging community of LeBreton, the Escarpment
District and the Downtown core.
Residents of the Escarpment District will continue to benefit from the amenities afforded by living in
such an urban setting – including easy access to Ottawa’s best cultural facilities, close proximity to
the business core and Ottawa’s best shopping and leisure assets. In addition to these uniquely urban
amenities, residents will also enjoy improved direct connections to the regional and national system
of parkland, major new open spaces and strong links to the Ottawa River.
THE STUDY | THE FUTURE | TODAY | THE VISION & FRAMEWORK | OPEN SPACE OPPORTUNITIES | DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES | MOVING FORWARD
The Vision for the Escarpment Area District
1
OTTAWA ESCARPMENT AREA DISTRICT PLAN
The Escarpment Area District Plan articulates a contemporary and inspiring entry statement for the
Downtown core of Ottawa. It positions this area for future opportunities by creating a strong framework
for the introduction of new development and park spaces, allowing this area to be more integrated with
the Downtown, LeBreton, national open space & waterway systems.
Wellington
r Parkway
Ottawa Rive
Sparks
Fleet
Queen
Albert
Slater
ert
Alb
er
t
Sla
Laurier
Lyon
Bay
Percy
Gloucester
Bronson
Cambridge
Empress
Perkins
Lorne
Booth
Albert
Nepean