26 April 2012 - City of Ottawa Planning Summit

[waterloowarrior]

Should be interesting... registration is closed but it will be streamed online...

http://ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/planni...mmit/index.htm

Planning Summit

Registration is now closed

April 26, 2012
The City of Ottawa Planning Summit is an opportunity to talk about today’s planning challenges with Mayor Jim Watson and others who are helping to shape our city. Participants will represent a variety of perspectives and include residents, community and business organizations, the building and development industry, and professionals working in all areas of planning and design.

The day will include an Open Forum with the Mayor and Councillor Peter Hume as well as insights from special guest speakers:

Pamela Blais, author of Perverse Cities: Hidden Subsidies, Wonky Policy and Urban Sprawl, on the topic of how we should grow in the suburban area

Jeffrey Tumlin, a leading thinker in transit-oriented development, on how Ottawa should plan for the areas around our future Light Rail Transit stations

Registration is now closed. Should interest exceed capacity a draw may be held following the registration deadline for the extra spaces that have been set aside for the general public. Your registration will be confirmed by e-mail by April 18th.

Date: Thursday, April 26, 2012
Time: Registration 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Summit 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: CE Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive


What will happen at the Summit?

8 - 9 a.m. - Registration, coffee and muffins

9 a.m. - Remarks from Mayor Jim Watson and Councillor Peter Hume, Chair of the Planning Committee
Open Forum

10 a.m. - Break

10:15 a.m. - Guest speaker - Pamela Blais

11:15 a.m. - Round Tables (Growth in Rural Areas, Tall Buildings, and Suburban Development)

12:15 p.m. - Lunch

1 p.m. - Guest speaker - Jeffrey Tumlin

1:45 p.m. - Round Tables (Transit-oriented development, Community Design Plans, Economic Development)

2:35 p.m. - What we heard today – A report back from Councillor Peter Hume

3 p.m. - Close of Summit

Please note the exact times of the activities at the Summit are subject to change and a final agenda will be provided in advance to registrants.


After the Summit
Key themes from the Summit will be reported to Planning Committee in May and will help shape future planning initiatives and the work programs for the review of the Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan and Infrastructure Master Plan.

Travel
Take Bus route 97 (OC Transpo) direction Airport/Aéroport. See routes at OC Travel Planner
A map showing the CE Centre
Pay parking ($7) is available on-site
I can’t attend. How else can I get involved?

Watch: We will be webcasting the talks from the Mayor and Councillor, the Open Forum and the wrap-up as they occur.

[Uhuniau]

Stupid time.

Stupid location.

Sham.

[waterloowarrior]

I was able to listen to the first hour or so... didn't sound like too much representation from the development community at the Q&A, however reading some of news articles and live tweeting it sounded like there were some interesting conversations at the tables with a wide variety of people.

Citizen: Ottawa’s tall buildings ‘underachieve,’ planning summit hears
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ot...879/story.html

Citizen: Watson promises ‘zoning SWAT team’ for toughest planning problems
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ot...765/story.html

CBC: City wants planning policy to be clearer
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...ng-summit.html

Here is the City's news release

NR: City aims to create certainty for building a better Ottawa
Ottawa – The City of Ottawa is aiming to reduce neighbourhood planning battles by bringing greater certainty to the development approval process while building a more prosperous city with lively, healthy neighbourhoods, Mayor Jim Watson said today.

Speaking at the City of Ottawa’s Planning Summit, Mayor Watson announced the City’s plans to foster smarter development growth and more productive dialogue with the community as major planning policy reviews begin. The Official Plan, the Transportation Master Plan and the Infrastructure Master Plan are being reviewed beginning this year.

“I want to thank all of our residents, entrepreneurs, community leaders and developers for sitting down together and discussing the challenges and opportunities our City faces when it comes to growth and planning,” said Mayor Watson. “Together, we share the common goal of building a better city. As we move forward, let’s use intelligent, practical strategies – such as building next to transit corridors, improving approvals timelines, retrofitting the suburbs and encouraging strong villages in the rural area – to achieve more vibrant, livable communities.”

Separate breakout sessions on issues such as rural development, tall buildings, community design plans and redeveloping suburban communities took place during the Summit, where participants put forward their ideas and debated different approaches to the future of planning in Ottawa. These ideas were transcribed and will be brought to Planning Committee for consideration.

Mayor Watson also said Ottawa needs to grow smarter because the City can’t financially sustain the rate at which it is expanding municipal servicing and extending infrastructure farther into the countryside, without eroding other services or causing higher tax increases. As well, building more diverse, well-rounded neighbourhoods will create a better quality of life for the people of Ottawa.

Mayor Watson identified six areas that require focus in order to build a better city:

• Containing urban expansion;
• Promoting transit-oriented development;
• Retrofitting existing suburban neighbourhoods, and encouraging development in new suburban areas to create complete neighbourhoods;
• Creating complete rural villages;
• Ensuring that planning initiatives contribute to a stronger city economy, and:
• Delivering greater predictability and certainty when it comes to development in our City.

Councillor Peter Hume, who is chairman of Planning Committee and who co-hosted the event, expressed optimism that the acrimony occasionally witnessed between Ottawa’s residents and developers — and by both groups pitted against City Hall when projects are being proposed — can be ended.

One of the main culprits, said Councillor Hume, is uncertainty about what is and what is not permitted under provincial development rules and the City’s development plans.

“We need to clear away the fog around planning and development. We need to be clear to residents and developers about what the ground rules are,” he said. “Ottawa is going to see better development over the next 10 years that will result in a more livable city. This will include taller buildings along transit lines and neighbourhoods with a healthy mix of commercial, residential and public space. And it’s in everybody’s interests to know where and how this is going to happen.”

To bring greater planning clarity and improve relations with the community, Councillor Hume said the City will take several initiatives:

• Commission a study of tall buildings that will result in specific guidelines for where these buildings should be placed;
• Review selected community design plans to ensure that zoning is up to date, thus permitting a quicker development-approvals process and making clear where larger buildings are not permitted;
• Form a Zoning SWAT Team to be assigned to controversial zoning files and produce proposed solutions quickly;
• Create a Neighbourhood Connection Office. This office will work with Councillors and neighbourhood leaders to implement projects in their neighbourhood that will help to build complete, livable communities. Projects will improve cycling, walkability, address traffic-calming and improve access to green space;
• Support developments that conform to City development policies as set out in documents such as the Official Plan, the Transportation Master Plan and the Provincial Policy Statement which guides development in Ontario; and
• Provide guaranteed timelines for certain minor development applications.

Mayor Watson and Councillor Hume were speaking to about 250 participants at the CE Centre, including community leaders, development business leaders, City Councillors and City staff who are attending the Planning Summit, organized by the City of Ottawa.

The summit stemmed from a commitment the Mayor made during in 2012 State of the City Address.

[waterloowarrior]

proposed neighbourhood connection office

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/cit...M-0103_NCO.pdf