Purpose and Objectives

On this basis, the overall purpose of the study is to complete an open and consultative planning and design process that produces an integrated urban design and transportation strategy for the future of downtown Ottawa’s street network, leveraging the opportunities to connect at the street level with the three proposed downtown LRT stations. The strategy will pursue a spatial and functional balance among street users that is in keeping with the City’s desire for its streets to be highly coveted public spaces as well as effective mobility routes conducive to active transportation and transit as priority modes. The study is expected to promote some provocative “moves” that the City can make in downtown Ottawa. Accordingly, stakeholder interest will be high.

The key study objectives are described below:

• Study Area Conditions: To study the land use, urban design, transportation and environmental policies, conditions, projects, opportunities and constraints that will inform the range of integrated urban design and mobility solutions to be evaluated.
• Discover Best Practices: To report on the body of knowledge associated with transforming the downtowns of other cities into more walking, cycling, and transit-oriented areas through integrated urban design and transportation solutions.
• Coordinate with Other Studies: To identify other relevant projects and studies and to draw together the proponents to dialogue, to explore common objectives, and to integrate activities where appropriate.
• Propose Strategic Mobility and Design Framework: To re-imagine downtown Ottawa’s network of connected streets, routes, buildings and public spaces that achieves the a desirable urban character and a balance that favours walking, cycling and transit use, having regard for the future LRT stations and associated at-grade opportunities and changed transportation flows.
• Recommend Design Solutions: To provide a suite of specific street design solutions that will enable the City to “build out” the recommended mobility network, including a recommended set of preferred projects and methods to implement.
• Provide Implementation Strategy: To provide a strategic implementation framework that will be a road map for the City and stakeholders to follow towards the actual construction of the mobility network, as well as guiding associated activities of other agencies and the private sector including recommendations for subsequent designs or studies.
• Provide Collaborative Study Design: To deliver the study products within an open and collaborative process that enables the understanding by, and endorsement of, elected officials, City staff, and a wide range of community, business and agency stakeholders within an 18 month schedule.