Capital Context

YOU CAN FEEL THE ENERGY in the Ottawa air. Things are changing. Uncertainty remains constant. Challenges abound. And new opportunities are everywhere you turn. Collectively, we are embracing ambiguity, learning along the way, making bold and thoughtful moves, and working in deep collaboration

Why? Because we are facing a once-in-ageneration opportunity for all the people of Ottawa to come together, learn from the past, leverage our assets and build up Ottawa as an exciting, inclusive, and sustainable capital city.

We are transforming Ottawa—one commitment, one conversation, one gesture, one initiative, one new idea, one relationship and one major investment at a time. Young leaders are emerging as city builders. Business and community leaders are aligning on our top priorities—innovative investments, economic growth, employee wellness and community wealth building. More importantly our changing times renews opportunities to address climate change and ensure equity for all.

Our strong federal presence continues to serve us well with exciting investments in the parliamentary precinct and the visionary plans of the National Capital Commission, both including a focus on the city core. The right sizing of the federal government footprint in the national capital area presents new opportunities for the Ottawa and Gatineau downtowns to be more diverse, resilient and vibrant than ever. It is imperative we continue to work closely together to ensure the execution of priorities at every level of government is aligned. There is a unique opportunity before us— for the private and public sectors to optimize our collective resources to realize the full potential of the entire national capital area. Together, we can build a strong foundation for the future.

Our city offers an impressive geography of vivid rural landscapes and dense business and residential districts. It stitches together natural and engineered waterways, where residents can walk along adjacent paths, boat, canoe, and kayak. We benefit from national monuments, historic buildings, arts and cultural venues and museums. But Ottawa is not viable without a dynamic, safe, and thriving downtown, where so many of these central assets reside.

Therefore, key among our priorities is the need to transform our downtown, the cultural and economic hub of our region. That is why the Ottawa Board of Trade in collaboration with the Canadian Urban Institute, created a community action plan. Along with our partners across the city, including the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, Invest Ottawa, BOMA Ottawa, and the National Capital Commission, we have unveiled “A Living Capital: Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda.” We are calling for bold leadership, a whole of community approach and a deep understanding that the success of the city core is critical to the success of the whole city.

The agenda embraces the vision of a holistic live-work-play environment. One that creates a culturally rich, inclusive, and accessible downtown for all. One that boosts our local economy. And one that attracts artists, investors, innovators, leaders, talent, and young people. Our action agenda targets four big moves to realize that vision. We propose adding 40,000 new residents and creating 50,000 new jobs by 2034, which will convert the city centre into a bustling hub of activity, creativity, and innovation. It also aims to enhance the public realms of Sparks Street and the ByWard Market and establish a new Business Incubation District and Arts/ Culture Corridor.

To create a downtown that is desirable, resilient, robust, and inclusive, the plan advances five immediate actions that the city should promote. These include prioritizing housing; investing in the future through financial mechanisms for ongoing downtown ventures; addressing homelessness, addiction, and mental health; improving regional mobility through enhanced transit options; and positioning downtown nationally and internationally through marketing efforts.

Downtown Ottawa is the heartbeat of our whole region. What happens downtown has a direct and immediate impact on every business, every resident, and every visitor. We encourage all residents in our region to be hometown tourists inviting family and friends to explore downtown. We call on all business and community leaders to leverage your international networks and our growing number of direct flights to bring more people to our region. We support all private and public sector employers to make a downtown presence attractive to your workforce. We invite all creatives, entrepreneurs, innovators and out of the box thinkers to consider our city core for your next big idea. This is an all-hands-on deck opportunity. Now is the time.