MCT Open House #2

ERA Architects Delcan

November 30, 2010

Hariri Pontarini Architects

Mid-CentretownCommunity Design Plan

Photo By: Charles Akben Marchandwww.centretown.blogspot.com

TONIGHT

6:30 Presentation

7:30 Questions & Answers

8:00 Activity Stations:1. The Character of Centretown: Buildings

2. Greening Centretown: Parks & Public Realm

3. Moving Around Centretown: Mobility

4. Living In Centretown: Community Amenities

Defining Centretown

Living In Centretown

Moving Around Centretown

Building Centretown

Greening Centretown

Next Steps

Mid-CentretownCommunity Design Plan

Who We Are

Transportation & Servicing:

Heritage Advice:

Architecture:

A Community Design Plan for Mid-Centretown

What is a Community Design Plan?Implemented through the Official Plan, CDPs direct future growth and guiding development across areas facing significant change.

CDPs provide guidelines for decision-making on land use planning at the neighbourhood level, around:

1. Future development2. Urban design3. Parks and open spaces4. Streetscape improvements 5. Zoning 6. Community priorities

Community Design Plans (CDPs) are used to update Secondary Plans.

A key objective of process is to build consensus around an updated twenty-year vision for Mid-Centretown.

Work Plan At A Glance

TONIGHTTONIGHT

Defining Centretown

Bank

O’C

onne

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Met

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Elgi

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Ken

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Somerset

Gladstone

Lisgar

MacLaren

Gilmour

James

Florence

Flora

Arlington

McLeod

Cooper

Nepean

Gloucester

417

Catherine

Where & What is Centretown?

Centretown is composed of a diversity of places

Downtown

Traditional Neighbourhoods

Northern Centretown

The Catherine Street Corridor

A Mixed Use Central Zone

Containing important Main Streets

…and a district around the Museum

…that connects the Civic & Capital Realms

Supporting important heritage buildings

Northern

Central

Catherine Corridor

Residential Neighbourhood

ResidentialNeighbourhood

Centretown is composed of a diversity of places

Heritage ClusterCentral Zone

DowntownMain Street

Metcalfe StreetMuseum District

Northern ZoneCatherine St. Corridor

Living in Centretown

Centretown Community Amenities: A Snapshot of Provision Today

Worked with University of Ottawa to prepare a Community Amenities Audit – sets the baseline scenario for the provision of community facilities in Centretown.

Focused on public spaces & facilities that provide community services.

Starting point for understanding existing provision and where gaps exist.

Centretown Community Amenities

Key Findings

As a well-established, central neighbourhood, Centretown is generally well provided for with facilities.

However, Centretown suffers from many of the same deficiencies experienced in other urban communities, such as:

Centretown Community Amenities

community centres … meeting space … local libraries … youth centres…investment in existing facilities…outdoor recreation space…

Findings were reinforced by what we heard from you:

… more park space … more healthy trees … better quality affordable housing … a new local library …. more bike lanes

needed … schools are essential … improvements to rinks, tennis and basketball courts

Section 37

Allows the City to grant additional height and/or density beyond existing permissions in return for ‘community benefits’.

Typically community benefits are cash contributions, but can also be physical facilities.

Community benefits are negotiated between the applicant, the City, the local councilor.

Making It Happen

What qualifies as a ‘Community Benefit’?

From City of Ottawa’s Official Plan:

> Cultural facilities

> Public art

> Heritage conservation

> Rental housing conservation

> Affordable housing provision, including land

> Child care

> Improvements to rapid-transit stations

> Artist live-work studios

PLUS…other local improvements identified in community design plans, community improvement plans, capital budgets, or other implementation plans or studies.

Community Benefits

…but could also include:

> Parkland

> Park improvements

> Funding for non-profit arts, community, cultural or institutional facilities

> Streetscape improvements

> Land for municipal purposes

> Funding for the urban forest

> Green technologies

Let us know what ‘community benefits’ are important to Centretown

Community Benefits

Moving around Centretown > People

> Bicycles

> Transit

> Cars

The Street Network Today \

Met

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O’C

onno

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Lyon

Ken

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Catherine

Isabella

The Street Network Today

Slater

Albert

The Transit Network Today - Transitway

Cycling in Centretown Today

Slater

AlbertB

ay

Per

cy

The Starting Point

Mobility Projects:

Two way conversion of all one-way arterials

Removal of Metcalfe Street from East Lawn

Metcalfe Street as a Civic Boulevard

The City of Ottawa is about to undertake a Downtown Mobility Study.

All ideas presented tonight will be included in the scope of work for the Downtown Mobility Study.

Would you like to include other ideas?

Mobility Overlay Study:Centretown Demands…

Turning Your Roads into Street:Two–Way Conversions

Met

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O’C

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Lyon

Ken

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Before

After

Turning Your Roads into Street:Two–Way Conversions

Two–Way Conversions: Metcalfe first

Met

calfe

O’C

onno

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Lyon

Ken

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Getting Started on Two-Way Conversions:Metcalfe First

Metcalfe Street as a Civic Ceremonial Street

Met

calfe

O’C

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Lyon

Ken

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Future Opportunities for Two-Way Conversions

Making Centretown More Accessible

Making Centretown More Walkable:Pedestrian Priority Streets

Met

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Somerset

Bay

Elgi

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O’C

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Making Centretown More Walkable:Safer Crossings

Met

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Somerset

Bay

Elgi

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O’C

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Pedestrian Priority Streets:What does this mean?

Pedestrian Priority Streets:

Safe Crossings


Connected to Transit


Clean

Pedestrian Priority Streets

Well Lit


A Place to Rest

Building a Complete Cycle Network

What is being considered today

Expanding the Network:Building the Missing Links

Expanding the Network:Future Priorities?

Encouraging Safe Cycling

Encouraging Safe Cycling

Moving Centretown: Projects

1. Metcalfe should be converted to two-way

2. Restore grid street system around Museum

3. Safe Crossing Project: Signalized pedestrian crossing should be introduced at intersections along arterial routes.

4. New on-street cycle lanes

5. Pedestrian comfort improvements should be pursued as a priority on Metcalfe, Elgin, Bay, Somerset.

Building Centretown

Centretown Today

Built in the last 10 years/Under Construction

Built in the last 10 years/Under Construction

What is Approved

Built in the last 10 years/Under ConstructionApproved Development

City or NCC Sponsored Districts

Built in the last 10 years/Under ConstructionApproved DevelopmentCity or NCC Sponsored Districts

What is Proposed

Built in the last 10 years/Under ConstructionApproved DevelopmentCity or NCC Sponsored DistrictsProposed Development

Bank

O’C

onne

r

Met

calfe

Elgi

n

Ken

t

Somerset

Laurier

Catherine

Gladstone

417

Lisgar

MacLaren

Gilmour

James

Florence

Flora

Arlington

McLeod

Cooper

Nepean

Gloucester

Somerset

Laurier

Catherine

Gladstone

417

Lisgar

MacLaren

Gilmour

James

Florence

Flora

Arlington

McLeod

Cooper

Nepean

Gloucester

…and more change is likely

• Bank Street• Centretown North• Neighbourhood Infill• Catherine Corridor

Bank

O’C

onne

r

Met

calfe

Elgi

n

Ken

t

Somerset

Laurier

Catherine

Gladstone

417

Lisgar

MacLaren

Gilmour

James

Florence

Flora

Arlington

McLeod

Cooper

Nepean

Gloucester

Somerset

Laurier

Catherine

Gladstone

417

Lisgar

MacLaren

Gilmour

James

Florence

Flora

Arlington

McLeod

Cooper

Nepean

Gloucester


Category 1 & 2 Heritage Buildings

Four Zones of Change, each with a different response.


• Neighbourhood Infill

Neighbourhood Infill

Neighbourhood Today

Central Zone Mid-Rise Today

Neighbourhood Infill

Neighbourhood Infill Tomorrow

Central Zone Neighbourhood Infill

Central Zone Neighbourhood Infill Tomorrow

Neighbourhood Infill TomorrowCentral Zone Mid-Rise: As of right

Neighbourhood Infill TomorrowA redistribution of density allows for a public plaza or park space.

Neighbourhood Infill TomorrowCreating a building that fits its context

Central Zone Mid-Rise Infill Tomorrow

Main Street

• Main Street

Main Street Today

Main Street Today

Main Street Today

Bank Street South: As-of-Right (18m)

Sculpting the building envelope to provide opportunities for new parks or plazas.

A redistribution of density allows for better transition to the neighbourhood.

Main Street Tomorrow



Centretown North

• Centretown North

This is what you can build today

This is what you can build today

Built Form Principles: How should you build?

Minimum distance between towers

Maximumtowerfloorplate

Minimum distance between tower and adjacent properties

Building a Tall Building

750 m2

6 storeys

Centretown North: As-of-Right (Varies up to 37m./no height limit, FSI 3)

Redistributing as-of-right density can create better buildings…

… and also provide opportunities for creating new open spaces & greening …

… or new community amenity for Centretown through density bonusing

Centretown North Tomorrow

• Catherine Corridor



Catherine Street: As-of-Right (18m – 19m)

Redistributing density can create better quality buildings …

…that transition to the neighbourhood…

…and also provide opportunities for new park spaces or community amenities.

Catherine

Arlington

Flora

Ken

t

Lyon

Queensway

Bay

Various Options Exist for a Park: West

Various Options Exist for a Park: Mid-Block

Catherine

Arlington

Flora

Ken

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Lyon

Queensway

Bay

Catherine

Arlington

Flora

Ken

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Lyon

Queensway

Bay

Various Options Exist for a Park: East

Catherine

Arlington

Flora

Ken

t

Lyon

Queensway

Bay

Various Options Exist for a Park: Along the Highway

Catherine Street Corridor Tomorrow


Built within the last 10 years/Under ConstructionApprovedCity or NCC Sponsored DistrictProposed DevelopmentPossible Developments

Built within the last 10 years/Under ConstructionApprovedCity or NCC Sponsored DistrictProposed DevelopmentPossible DevelopmentsHeritage Category 1Heritage Category 2

Centretown Tomorrow?

• Main Street• Centretown North• Neighbourhood Infill• Catherine Corridor


Building Centretown: Projects1. Design Guidelines (Infill, Mid-Rise and Tall Building)

2. Green Building Design Standards

3. Update Policy Framework Update (zoning)

4. Existing quality heritage buildings of Category 1 and 2 should be preserved. Depending on the site context and the characteristic of the existing heritage building, these buildings could also be integrated into new proposals.

Greening Centretown

What We Have Today

Gladstone

Catherine

Somerset

The Starting Point

Greening Projects:

Park Space Acquisition Program

Canadian Museum of Nature Block Restoration

Metcalfe Gateway Square

Escarpment Cental Park

Street Beautification for:• Elgin Street • O’Connor Street • Somerset Street • Metcalfe Street• Bank Street

Things are already happening:Bank Street Beautification

Uppertown Common & Escarpment Park

Canadian Museum of Nature Park West Lawn

Barry Padolsky Associates Inc. ArchitectsKPMB ArchitectsGagnon, Letellier, Cyr, Architects

Long term site development plan

Greening Centretown: Park repair and upgrade programme

Gladstone

Catherine

Somerset

McNabb

Dundonald

East Lawn

Jack Purcell

Museum of Nature East Lawn Expansion



Requires:

Elimination of the Metcalfe Street

Removal of surface parking lot

Re-landscaping the park

Museum of Nature East Lawn Expansion

Jack Purcell Park Improvements

Jack Purcell Park: Existing

Jack Purcell Park: What’s Proposed

New basketball court

New winter ice rink

Off-Least Dog Area Improvements

Playground enhancement

Jack Purcell Park: Suggested Upgrades• Improve Park

entrances

• Improve streets leading to park

• Make park more visible by improving edge conditions

• Improve pathway system

• New planting

?

Greening Centretown: Park Space Acquisition Program

Gladstone

Catherine

Somerset

Catherine-Lyon Park

Catherine-Lyon Park

Derby Place Square

Derby Place Square

Greening Centretown: Creating Smaller Moments

Gladstone

Catherine

Somerset

Create Smaller Moments

forecourts urban park

Create Smaller Moments

plazas linear parks

Catherine/Highway Corridor GreeningGreening Centretown: Use Forgotten Green Spaces

Gladstone

Catherine

Somerset

Create Smaller MomentsCatherine Street/417 Corridor

Use forgotten green spaces

Greening Centretown: Connect your assets with great streets

Elgi

n

Gladstone

Catherine

Met

calf

Somerset

Don’t allow front yard parking

How do you ‘green’ neighbourhood streets?

Eliminate parking on sidewalks and the public right of way

Don’t let garbage be stored by the sidewalk

Plant trees instead of cars

Hide your servicing area

Buffer parking from the sidewalk

Plant vertically

Greening Centretown: Projects1. Park space acquisition programme

2. Park repair and upgrade programme: Museum of Nature East Lawn and Jack Purcell Park as priorities.

3. Metcalfe reinvented as a green boulevard

4. Streetscape enhancements: Elgin and Catherine streets5. Reclaim public ROW when encroached by parking

Next Steps

Winter 2011Action Strategy SummitPrepare Draft Plan

SpringPCG Meeting Community Open House #3: Draft Plan

Thank You

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.MidCentretownTomorrow.com

416 340 9004

MCT Open House #2

Design

northern centretown

community services

community amenitiesaudit

community benefitsbut

community benefitswhat

character of centretown

community improvement

catherine street corridor