Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The City of Ottawa is seeking feedback on the second draft of its new Zoning By-law, with notable revisions that could affect development permissions, density limits and transition rules citywide.
The updated draft, released in April, reflects technical changes and refinements following a year of consultation on the original draft. Several proposed changes may directly impact land use planning, particularly for infill development, high-rise transitions, and residential density.
Key updates in Draft 2
Height and density adjustments in Low-Density Zones
- Draft 2 revisits the approach to building heights in Neighbourhood (N) and Residential (R) zones. While Draft 1 proposed uniform height limits of 8.5 metres in N1/N2 zones and 11 metres in R1/R2 zones, the second draft offers three options to resolve this discrepancy. Feedback from the industry is requested to help determine a balanced approach.
- In addition, the broad replacement of R4 zones with N4 has been reconsidered. Draft 2 suggests a more nuanced approach—reclassifying some R4 zones to N3, reintroducing unit-based density limits where appropriate.
Expanded permissions for communal parking lots
- The city is proposing four options to expand communal parking permissions beyond just planned unit developments (PUDs). This could allow more flexible parking strategies for multi-unit residential projects and infill developments.
Transition buffers for hi-rise proposals
- The previous step-back approach for height transitions in Mainstreet Zones adjacent to low-rise neighbourhoods is being replaced. Draft 2 introduces a fixed buffer zone to ensure adequate separation and mitigate shadowing and massing impacts—particularly relevant for developers considering intensification near established residential areas.
Area-specific zoning applications
- Rather than applying blanket changes, the city is now recommending a tailored, site-sensitive approach to zoning updates, potentially offering greater flexibility in certain neighbourhoods and avoiding unintended constraints in others.
Industry professionals were able to review zoning changes and provide feedback through online tools or by attending public open houses that concluded earlier this month.
At engage.ottawa.ca, users can access a 3D Digital Twin Map, the Interactive Draft 2 Zoning Map, and side-by-side comparisons with the current By-law 2008-250.
Public consultation on Draft 2 runs through June. Draft 3 is expected in September 2025, followed by another consultation phase through October and a final draft will be reviewed by the joint planning and housing committee in December.
Council approval is scheduled for January 2026.
