Lebreton plans revealed

Today, the two plans for Lebreton Flats were revealed. Both see a major revitalization of the Flats with thousands of new residents, a new home for professional hockey in Ottawa, and truly exciting proposals for public amenities and a new contribution to a dynamic urban fabric downtown.

I won't weigh in too much at this point. Both groups have put forward thoughtful proposals that strive to meet in a meaningful way our priorities for city-building in the capital. Residents will have two immediate opportunities to have their say - tonight till 9:30 and tomorrow night. All the details are here. I would strongly encourage Kitchissippi residents to take that opportunity to weigh in. Both of these proposals, if built, would fundamentally alter the relationship between our ward and downtown. Hintonburg and Mechanicsville will be essentially the western boundary of a new community that is much more seamless from the Bayview to Nanny Goat Hill. Hintonburg and Mechanicsville will likely undergo transformations of their own if either of these proposals are built, though none of us likely know exactly what that change will be.

There is a lot to think about. Both of these have thought through transportation questions in a progressive way, which is a key consideration for our ward. I'm sincerely excited by the potential, and am looking forward to watching this process unfold. There will come a point where our Council will need to work through the fine points of land use planning, transportation, infrastructure and more. I expect that there will be many points where Kitchissippi residents will need to consider the devil that's always in the details.

But this week, I encourage all of us to look beyond the question of intersections and garbage pick-up and height limits. These proposals challenge us to think about how we want our City to evolve. How can it be more sustainable? How can we think about transportation in innovative ways? How can the built form of a community and the uses to which that is put help define who we are and what we value?

Let's ask big questions, demand creative answers, and let the NCC know we want it to do the same.