Since 2006, Urban Strategies has been retained by a number of public sector agencies in Ottawa to prepare several community design plans (CDPs) and TOD plans for various areas of the City including Tremblay Road at St Laurent, Scott Street, Centretown, the Escarpment District, Preston/Carling, Lees Stations and uOttawa. These projects all supported the intensification and strengthen the relationship of each respective neighbourhood with the planned transit improvements including the city’s first light-rail transit system, the Confederation Line. The plans all ensure safe and easy access to transit stations while protecting the land base for future development and place-making.
The plans developed involved extensive engagement with various stakeholders, including the City, elected officials, and affected communities. For the Centretown, Scott Street, Escarpment and Preston/Carling CDPs, hundreds of stakeholders including politicians, community associations, municipal and federal agencies and community members were engaged.
Engagement events included the use of physical models, 3d imagery, precedents, diagrams, etc to ensure easy understanding of what was being proposed. Each plan provides a mobility strategy to enhance access to existing and future stations and proposes a demonstration plan, built-form and urban design guidelines to fully capitalise on the public transit investments. For example, Urban Strategies developed, for Public Works and Government Services Canada, a framework for a new mixed use government node across the existing St Laurent Station. The plan includes TDM measures and a pedestrian bridge directly connecting the transit station to the future development with an objective of achieving an 80% modal split in favour of transit over time.
